How to Treat A Girl - During an Invasion! (Reposted!)
by Erizabesu Miharu
Summary: The sequel to 'How to Meet a Girl'. 2k14 verse. The turtles have gained a new friend, but old enemies still lurk in the shadows... and old secrets too. So, when their enemies finally emerge, loyalties will be questioned and friendships tested. Can the turtles fight both battle fields at once? Read, review, and reflect... and eat pizza while you do it!
1. Chapter 1

**Welcome back, home slices! Glad you decided to give this low-budget sequel a chance! I'm still rolling with the 2k14 sequence of events because I felt the turtles deserved better. But your imaginations are your own, so picture whatever turtles you want as you read. Enjoy, and as always, leave a comment!**

 **}{}{March, 2015}{}{**

"Why not a dog?" Emma insisted before popping a sixth egg roll in her mouth. "Man… this Thai sauce is AMAZING!"

"Knew you'd like it." April grinned. "And not in 10,000 years! You already pushed it by giving Mikey that cat."

"Klunk and Master Splinter get along just fine." Emma defended the tabby she had given the turtles for Christmas. April shook her head, stuffing greasy napkins into her Thai take-out box. "No, books are the way to go. Donnie loved that Stephan Hawking bio I found for him."

"Course he did." Emma swallowed. "He's Donnie. Now, I can see Leo or Splinter reading 'The Art of War'. And Mikey equals comic book. But Raph?"

 _He'd sooner use a book for target practice._ April agreed. She'd have to think on that one, but it looked like Emma already had as she jumped up. "Two words, girlfriend; utility belt!"

April stared at her enthusiastic expression. The more time she spent with the 20-year-old college student, the more she saw why Emma and Mikey got along so well. They were both… goofy. It had taken her awhile to show her true dorky colors, but she had been going through a lot when April first met her. That had been almost five months ago; now her ribs were perfectly healed and her biggest worry was some research project on echolocation. That and getting the right gift for their 'special' friends.

"Emma…" April said slowly. "I don't think Raph is the Mr. Fix-it type."

"Oh, I'm not talking about any old utility belt here." Emma grinned, talking with her hands as much as her mouth. Another Mikey-like trait. "I'm talking shuiken, wazaikowa, the whole nine yards, all conveniently located in one belt. Seriously, the guy will die from pleasure."

And she thought this was a wise idea? Raphael was a skilled ninjustu artist, but _way_ too impulsive to be trusted with so many weapons at once. April moved toward the trash can with their empty boxes. "Emma, I don't think…"

A scream interrupted her. Now, in NYC there were screams and then there were **_screams_**. They ranged from 'cockroach' to 'I can't believe you!' to 'I'm being murdered!'. This scream fell into the third category. April and Emma shot over to their living room window, looking down into the street below. They found a woman in her thirties wrestled against three robbers. Emma tsked at the the sight, pushing the window open. "Who mugs while it's still daylight?"

"Junkies." April suggested, eyeing the redhead. "What're you…"

"Yo!" Emma yelled out to the struggle below. She held out one of her take-out cartons and sent it free falling. It opened and dumped stringy, saucy noodles over the taller guy's head.

"Emma!" April cried. "I was going to save those for lunch tomorrow!"

"Hey!' the thug let go of the lady, shaking noodles off as he cursed them out. And drew out a gun! April yanked Emma back as three shots hit the side of the building. They laid down on the floor, April glaring at Emma.

Emma breathed out sheepishly. "Maybe that was a bit rash."

"Ya think." April exasperated.

"I'm already calling." Emma volunteered, her phone out. The shots stopped as she dialed and April dared a peek back over the sill. If she could get a glimpse of their faces…

"Whoa." April exclaimed in surprise. The woman had run off, purse clutched tightly and another third party had joined the fray. April's 6th journalist sense kicked in, watching this masked man that lugged a giant golf bag on his back. It was crammed with not only golf clubs, but a baseball bat, a hockey stick, and what looked like a cricket bat. The bulky masked figure had the skinner mugger in a headlock while mercilessly raining a golf club over the head of the other. "Let's see how good you do against someone who can fight back, scum!"

 _A vigilante._ April sighed. _That's so last year!_

Course, this wasn't just any vigilante. This was the hockey-mask hoodlum that had been blowing up the police dashboards over the last few months. It wasn't so much the crimes that he had been stopping, but the gifts he was leaving behind. Broken and bruised Purple Dragons, car jackers, whatever, tied up and waiting for the police every time they showed up at the scene. Cops and reporters were going neck and neck with each other to find out who this guy was.

April scrambled for her phone as she processed what she was watching. Whoever Hockey Mask was, he certainly knew his way around a fight. He sent the muggers running- the one that still could anyway- inside of ten seconds. Emma whistled beside April. "Well, that was unexpected."

"Did you call?" April moved her phone in for a widescreen shot.

"They're en route." Emma leaned out the window again with peaked interest.

"Don't cha worry, fair maidens." Hockey Mask suddenly turned and yelled up at them, a boot in the mugger's back. "Let all of NYC know that Casey Jones has got our backs!"

"Anytime, El Macho." Emma saluted with a wink down at him. "And we thank you for your service."

April jabbed her arm. "You better quit Mr. Jones, before you get yourself killed."

Hockey Mask- eh, Casey Jones- stared at her a moment. "Tell you what Channel 6, you stick to tellin' the news and I'll keep creatin' it."

Great, another city psycho knew who she was. Why couldn't someone from _TIME_ magazine or the _CBS_ network recognize her? She opened her mouth for a sassy remark, but like that, he was gone. Disappearing to the south as police sirens beaconed from the north. April rolled her eyes, glaring at Emma. "Enabler, much?"

"It's not like I told him that he was smart." Emma rubbed her arm, pouting. "But he does put his life on the line."

"Through disillusionment." April got up. "Not that I don't want this story, but the news has been pumping up his ego. They glorify the same risks that our police force makes."

Emma got up and walked away from the window. "And when they get here, I'll be sure to extend the same thanks to them… Any more egg rolls?"

"Did no one feed you in the Navy?" April laughed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey, you made it this far! So, lots of Japanese translation in this one; what can I say, I do my research.**

 **Zenpo kaiten - forward roll; Mae-geri - front kick; Tsuki - thrust;**

 **shishin ken, mawashi-geri, nidan-geri - finger strike, round kick, double jumping kick**

 **Yumi - finish; otsukaresama - roughly, it expresses appreciation; yoku dekimashita - well done**

"Zenpo kaiten!" Master Splinter ordered. His sons, the mutated turtle teenagers, obeyed his command in unison, ducking an imaginary attack. He raised his chin, watching their form. "Mae-geri!"

They threw back and kicked. "Ke-yi!"

"Tsuki!" Master Splinter nodded to the punching bag beside him. "Donatello."

The tall turtle took a calculated breath before thrusting his shoulder into the bag, high-blocking with his knee. Master Splinter responded with a light tap to his arm with his walking stick. "Your opponent will never pause. Think on your feet. Raphael, tsuki!"

The bag about flew off of its chain, as his second eldest grunted against it. Master Splinter resisted an eye roll. "Focus more energy with your mind; it will hold you up when your body fails."

"Hai, sensai." Raphael said, moving aside.

"Michelangelo…" Splinter commanded. But his youngest was hitting the bag before he could finish. Should he even tell him to be patient anymore? Master Splinter sighed, letting Michelangelo grin and pass by. "Leonardo, tsuki!"

Precision and force hit the bag, then Leonardo joined his brothers on the other side of him. Splinter righted the bag, then turned to face them. Lightening round. "Shishin ken, mawashi-geri, nidan-geri!"

The four answered with two strikes and a leaping kick, landing at the ready stance. Weight centered, arms pulled in tight, eyes locked ahead… Master Splinter was pleased and bowed. "Yumi."

"Sensei." the students bowed back to him. "Otsukaresama!"

"Yoku dekimashita." Master Splinter smiled lightly at them in a recognizable fatherly pride. "My students, we are done for the day."

"Whoohoo!" Michelangelo dove out of his place, straight for the TV room. Donatello bent over in exertion. Leonardo and Raphael threw a few competitive punches; healthy competition, Master Splinter hoped. He could never tell with those two… Splinter's hairs went static at the sudden 'bleeping' coming from Donatello's computer and echoing over the entire lair. How he hated those noisy things!

"Aw man." Donatello rushed over and adjusted his main screen, typing crazily over the keyboard. "They're at it again."

The brothers crowded around his computer, Raphael shoving Michelangelo aside. "More Foot Clan, huh?"

"They're preforming a devil's trifecta." Donatello moaned. "Robberies occuring at a private residence on Staten Island, a computer store in Brooklyn, and- is nothing sacred!- a church just off the Hudson."

Leonardo's face had tightened. "It's been their pattern for the last two months. Too spread out to stop them all."

"Right back to business." Raphael growled.

"Which is what, exactly?" Michelangelo asked. "There's no Shredder, so who's telling them to go rob places? Who in their right mind would tell anybody to rob a church anyway? I mean, you think they'd hit back on those Purple Dragon punks, but noooo… they just pick and choose all around the city."

"It's like they don't care about their status anymore." Leonardo sighed. "Wish they'd show as much disregard for their rap sheets. Citizens are still getting caught in the crossfire."

"And they still hunt us." Splinter said grimly. He had not been able to deny his sons their nightly patrols, but he had advised limited contact with any of the Foot. Even with the passage of one year since their discovery, the Foot remained a threat to his family. "Donatello, your research…"

"I've been over it as many ways as I can think, sensei." Donatello looked back at him, head hung in shame. "The bottom line is, we- I - neither have the equipment or expertise to compile a thorough analysis of our blood. I can only configure several hypothesizes as to why the Foot might still want it."

"Maybe the plan they had with Saks is still a go." Raphael suggested. "Poison the city, sell the antidote. Try hacking Saks' mainframe again."

"Any research conducted on Project Renaissance was sixteen years ago, Raph," Donatello reminded them. "That's about a hundred, technologically speaking. And from what April passed along from her father's research… I mean, the mutagen was complied of unknown chemicals that were all black-coded in his notebooks. Not knowing about them was the whole point that such compounds were being used in their experiments."

"But someone had to have known them." Leonardo stressed.

"Someone." Donatello agreed. "The question remains, who?"

"The experiments that made us awesome." Michelangelo twirled a nunchuck dangerously close to Leonardo's face. Donatello rolled his eyes and went on. "The only solid link that we have is the repeated acronym, TCRI. It was on the canisters used to transport the chemicals."

Splinter remembered the green liquid, even before their mutations had taken effect. It had been injected into all of them several times, over a matter of weeks. Not one had felt any different then the other. Whatever had entered their bodies, Mr. O'Neil had done well to bury its secret with the fire so long ago.

"I'll keep looking." Donatello sighed, telling Splinter that he was losing his momentum to study their blood objectively. "I've sent the necessary tip-offs to the nearest precincts. If it was just a little darker, we could…"

"We will have our chance against the Foot." Splinter spoke out, reassuring his family. "Once we more information, soon…"

"Soon what?" Raphael turned at him with anxious eyes. "It's all gonna end? No offense sensei, but you kinda said that last year."

"And I say it with as much truth now."

Raphael huffed. "Seems to me that this whole thing could've ended a long time ago. Say, back in October…"

"Here we go." Mickey threw up his hands, retreating back to the TV.

"C'mon Raph," Donatello padded his brother's shoulder. "You're the only one who's still fuming over it. Just let it go."

"Can't hold it back anymore…"

"SHUT UP, Mikey!" Raphael glared over at him, before zeroing in on Leonardo. "And it's kinda hard to 'let it go' when it could've made things go down different."

Leonardo's face twisted on his brother. "If you bring up collateral damage, so help me…"

"What!" Raphael demanded, drawing himself up, nose-to-nose with Leonardo. "What're you gonna do."

"Dah, dah, daaahhh!" Michelangelo hollered from the TV room, while Donatello attempted to mediate the situation. "Guys…"

Splinter wrapped his tail around the bokken near his feet and slapped it on the concrete. His students grew silent immediately. Splinter folded his hands, eyeing each of the turtles in turn. "The decisions of that day make me proud of you, my sons. Because they were those of the harder path; the warrior's path."

Raphael's eyes glowed furiously. "What warrior lets his enemies off scott-free?"

"There was an enemy before the Foot Clan, Raphael." Splinter told him. "And there will be another to take their place afterward."

"Right on, sensei." Michelangelo grinned at him with a thumbs up. "You've been reading my comics, eh."

 _I'd rather be un-mutated._ Splinter thought drastically.


	3. Chapter 3

}{}{}{ ** _2 Days Later_** }{}{}{

"Stop smiling, O'Neil." Vern advised, refocusing the lens. "You're gonna break a cheekbone."

"Let it shatter." April declared, straightening the lapel of her blouse for the twentieth time. She was dressed to the nines in blouse and pantsuit, in front of the courthouse. Along with thirty other news crews that crowded the steps. Within the next ten minutes, a legal representative would step up to the microphone stand and announce the fate of business tycoon, Eric Saks. April's smile, if possible, widened as she watched the activity. "Today, a killer gets condemned."

"And I'm as happy about it as the next guy." Vern nodded at her. "But seriously, you're gonna be reporting from the steps of Lady Justice, here. You need to look as sober as possible."

April furrowed her brow, deliberately frowning. "How's this?"

Vern grinned. "You make it look good. You make everything look good; I mean, that's a reporter's job…"

"We're on in three minutes." April reminded him, gaining her composure. Vern got the camera ready and reeling and counted her down.

"Good morning, New York City! As dawn has broken over our high-rise, so has a new brand of justice out of our great American judicial system. One year ago, almost to the day, well-known businessman, Eric Saks, was arresting. His arrest followed a weaponized chemical attack attempted from the spire of his own tower in Manhattan…"

She ran over the details, not that the people needed a refresher course. The Saks case had been in the top news slot over the last three months, as the courts were finally getting around to a trial. Her father's murderer, finally labeled a criminal to the public. Sentenced to life without parole, if not the needle. It brought her relief, if not satisfaction. Vern had been rubbing his left shoulder day in and day out in the same anticipation.

"Attorney Tanner Nealy is now making his way to the podium." April announced, the entire crowd rushing forward, cameras blinking a mile a minute. After a sound check and an ammeter salutation, Mr. Nealy released a slow breath. "Ladies and gentlemen of the press, I'm sure that with the closing of this case, you will lose half of your viewing audience."

A few chuckled. April tapped her foot, off-camera.

"Nonetheless, I won't hold the city in suspense any longer." Mr. Nealy went on. "As of eight minutes ago, a grand jury decided a guilty verdict for Eric Saks on the charges of terrorism and murder, among various others…"

"Assault and battery." Vern mouthed to April, laboring his shoulder. She kept face, even with her insides bursting. As soon as the lawyer made his final comments, she'd vie for a question or two, then she'd sign off.

}{}{}{}{}{

"Yeah son!" Mikey bounced on the couch, pointing with both hands at the TV. Leo and Don slapped a high-five, while Raph gave a quiet grin. _Sure wish I could've been in that courtroom._

}{}{}{}{

Afternoons ended early, even though it was the last week in March. Shadows covered more then half the city by four in the afternoon. It was going on six now, but it wasn't the dark that made Raoul feel so nervous. It was his surroundings. Dark alleyways, smoky bars, even the drug dens of Chinatown, he could handle that. But a lone parking lot on the upper East Side was a bit out of his comfort zone. He wouldn't be here, if not for the promise of his money. Raoul dug in his pocket for the last of his cigarettes.

"Those things will kill you."

Raoul jumped at the creepy voice keeping out of the darkness. A figure stood just outside the rim of the spotlight Raoul was lounged under. A thin man in a coat, adjusting black leather gloves. "It's a proven fact… six minutes off of your life, every time you take a drag. Yet, you continue to light it. Such a waste."

Raoul shoved the pack back into his jeans. "I came for my money and any last instructions."

The man raised his eyebrows. "Last instructions?"

"That's what your boy told me." Raoul shrugged. "He said, 'The masses are regenerated' and that you have your last instructions."

"Very well then." the man nodded.

Then there was a snap and Raoul knew nothing.

}{}{}{}{

"You're walking like you're on Cloud 9." Emma noted, striding to catch up with April, who was going at an amazing clip for her four-inch heels. April just flashed a wide grin at her. "Because it's finally over, Emma. Ever felt weighted down by a piece of your past and no matter what, you knew you couldn't get rid of it until you had straightened out all the loose ends?"

"Yes." Emma nodded, her chest stirring. Carson's own goofy grin flashed through her mind, but she pushed it aside. It was April's night, a night of celebration at that.

"Yeah great," Vern strolled behind them. "Where are we eating?"

Emma dropped back, whacked his shoulder, to which he flinched. "Hey! I had a bullet in there once."

"Well, it's finally gone." April explained, speaking on more then the bullet. "No longer hanging over my head."

"Right on." Emma squeezed her in a side hug. "But enough of the feels; I'm starving!"

"You ate a bag of cashews before we left." Vern stared at her in bewilderment. "How does a girl- a woman- of your small stature cram so much food in… well, in your whole… package?"

Emma and April shook their heads at each other and kept walking. Vern should've seen her when she went head on with Mikey and Raph in a nacho-eating contest. And yes, she had eaten the cashews. But she had come off of a long shift at the animal clinic, they had been walking for fifteen minutes and… Why was she explaining this? She was hungry, end of story! God didn't put food on the planet for them to stare at it. The trio headed up Saint's Boulevard, listening to Vern suggest a new bistro, when Emma's phone buzzed. She eyed the screen: _Call me, sweetie._

"Ugh." Emma bumped her purse to her thigh in annoyance. "I promised to call my mom, like, yesterday. I'll just be a minute, you guys."

"Take it." April waved her on, pointing out a Thai restaurant.

Emma stepped back to the corner, hitting speed dial #4. Her mother answered before the first ring finished. "Ooohhh, there you are dear! I wasn't sure if you were still working."

"I finished up an hour ago." Emma swung her boot playfully over the sidewalk. "I've been taking on more hours though; the clinic's booming with business this month. What's up?"

"Well," Mom breathed out. "I realize this is last minute, but your father just told me that he's got some business in the Big Apple over the next week."

"Oh?" Emma watched the streetlights flick from red to green, unleashing a new stream of honking traffic. And all the more shoving pedestrians to go with it. "Another secret mission? He usually needs to go overseas for that."

Mom huffed. "Don't let him hear you funning his work like that. He takes it seriously."

Emma laughed. "Mom, if he was anymore serious, he'd turn to stone."

"He'd need a White Witch for that and you know it." Mom sassed her and they both laughed. Emma waved back at Vern and April, her stomach growling. "It's cool if you stay at our apartment. You haven't met April yet."

"No, no, no," Mom insisted. "Imogene, you can't make a decision like that without talking to your roommate first; think about others for once."

 _Let the reprimanding begin._ Emma went back to watching her boots. Anytime her full first name came out…

"…besides, your father needs to be near the East River." Mom went on. "An easier commute to the company he's negating with… at least that's what MapQuest is telling me… oh, your apartment building just popped up!"

Honestly, her mother made cyber stalkers sound like petty offenders. "What's so important on the East River?"

"A company that is helping supply new… well, supplies for the navy, I guess." Mom's distant tone told Emma she was still on the computer. "Saks Robotics."

Emma about dropped the phone. _Saks Robotics!?_ _The company with the recently convicted overlord of narcissistic psychosis!? It's still running!? Okay, play it cool._

"Wh-" Emma licked her lips. "What's the navy need with robots? And isn't that company out of business?"

"It's discredited dear, not dead." Mom laughed. "And I may be the wife, but even my clearance has its limits."

 _This is one time I wish it had none._ Emma thought. Her forehead sweated and she thought about her next words. _Oh, down the rabbit hole I go._

"Has… has Oruko Saki been in contact with Dad?" Emma kept her voice light. "He was rumored to have investments in that company. Will he be sponsoring another ball by chance? I've got a new dress…"

"No such luck my little diva." Mom snickered at her. "No one's heard from Saki in quite awhile. Word is he has taken some leave in Japan."

 _Yeah,_ Emma thought with disdain. _A leave down south. WAY down._

"Just giving you a heads-up." Mom said. "So we can make plans to see you. It's about time we had a proper introduction to this April."

"Yeah." Emma swallowed. "She'll be thrilled… call me when you land at the airport."

They disconnected, Emma's thoughts jumbling any coherent opening lines she would've used to re-enter April and Vern's conversation. But if her mind wasn't loaded already- loaded with fear, with guilt, with dread on her parent's arrival- with hunger cramps!- it almost hit overload as she caught something familiar across the street. A specific guy walking slow and limp-like, a lumpy golf bag over his shoulder. _Did the universe want her head to explode?!_

"How are your parents?" April asked as Emma joined them.

"April," Emma diverted with a touch to her friend's arm. "That guy across the street…he's sporting a nice golf bag, don't you think?"

April followed her gaze to the same shaggy-haired man. Her eyes widened in recognition. "Nice. Wonder if he's got a mask to go with it."

"What are…" Vern called after them as April led the way across the street. "Hey! I thought you were starving!"

"Hey, Jones!" April called out, hopping onto the opposite curb. Emma came around her as Casey Jones straightened, then stiffened. She gestured to the loaded golf bag. "Another night on the job? Seems a little early."

Casey Jones studied them for a moment, then relaxed. "Channel 6 and her assistant damsel in distress. You guys look better up close." He eased back, the cocky smile on his face. "Normally, I'd take advantage of this golden opportunity… I really would. But I gotta be somewhere."

"Another skull to bash?" Vern asked from behind them, making Emma jump.

"Cute." Casey narrowed his eyes at him.

"What if we made good on it this weekend?" April caught him by the shoulder. "With an interview."

That was April, always looking to get ahead. Emma let her eyes trail again, her previous worries almost gone. Until they completely vanished. "Um… April…"

"It sounds like an interesting story, the service you've been giving to this city…"

"April." Emma grabbed her arm, getting her to look down from Casey's face to his pants. The left leg was dark with blood. Emma felt the situation change as April dared to lift up Casey's jean jacket. More blood on the shirt underneath. It centered on a black hole in his jeans, just below the hip bone.

"Somebody catch you on the flip side?" Vern asked lightly.

"It's nothing." Casey shoved his jacket down.

"You need to get that looked at." April said

"If the bullet's still inside," Emma agreed. "You're risking infection."

Casey hissed at them in a low tone. "I go to a hospital, cops will be all over me. My 'service' as you say Channel 6, isn't exactly within the letter of the law, ya know."

Emma glanced at April, who was already eyeing her knowingly. _Deja vu, anyone?_

"We might have another option." she sighed.

"I'll order a pizza." Vern mentioned.

Too bad. Emma had been hoping for a reuben on marble rye bread.

 **Make sure you pay attention! Lots will be happening over the next few chapters... I LOVE THIS STUFF!**


	4. Chapter 4

"My family moved here from Massachusetts when I was five." Casey spoke happily with the pretty reporter April O'Neil. Her colleague watched him as he spoke, while her other cute friend worked on his side. Or rather, his lower hip. Due to the wound's place, he had been forced- soft of- to strip off his jeans. But maybe she and O'Neil liked Looney Tunes boxers. What girl could resist Bugs Bunny?

"We still visit the farmhouse in Northampton for reunions and stuff," Casey continued, his eyes rifting back through the years. "Nothing was better then spending the summers out there, growing up with my cousins. It's the memory of that lifestyle that drives me to do what I do."

"That and your ego." Emma commented with a grudging tug on the stitches she was applying. Casey struggled not to jerk away. "I got no ego, missy. I'm just another good-looking guy with a killer personality."

"Ah huh," Emma and April shared a raised eyebrow. "What else would you call spilling your guts to the first reporter that gives you the time of day?"

"And summers in the country?" the guy- Vern- snorted. "I mean, c'mon."

"You think I'm lying?" Casey eyed him hard, the familiar dragon rising inside his chest. "If you need a better reason, gangs looted and burned my dad's store when I was twelve. Better?"

"Relax, will ya." Emma eased him back down onto the table. "I need your muscles lax if I'm to close this up right."

Casey compiled, but continued to glare at the van guy. April worked over the tension with those lips of hers, her pen and pocket notebook handy. "Now Mr. Jones…"

"Whoa, toots," Casey stopped her. "It's Casey, alright? We're both in our twenties, not our sixties, right?"

"One of us is, Mr. Jones." April returned, lip curling in irritation. Aw, even that was hot.

"With someone so passionate about the justice system," April moved on with heightened sarcasm. "What're your thoughts on the most current trials today? The Eric Saks conviction for instance."

"Who?" Casey looked at her. She looked back at him like he was the biggest dummy on the planet; not the first time he'd seen the look.

"Eric Saks." the van guy spoke the name slower. "Business tycoon…"

"Murderer…" April added.

"Right-wing psycho financier to the Shredder." Emma finished, coming at him with the needle again. "He was arrested last year."

Casey still drew a blank. "I don't really… my TV watching consists of sports and a few select cooking shows."

"And here I was expecting depth." April turned away, shaking her head. That made her long dark curls sway rhythmically. Casey narrowed his eyes at her back slyly. "Babe, I'm so deep, the oceans ask me for water."

"This guy." Vern handed him his phone. "I seriously can't believe that you don't…"

Casey grabbed the phone, starring hard at the tight-lipped face on the small screen. He jerked back at the strain of his stitches. "Gah… this is Eric Saks?"

"Not the fastest train on the track are you, Jones." Emma applied pressure to his hip, forcing him to stay down. Casey let her, still staring at the phone. "This guy… he's in jail?"

"Yes." all three answered him in exasperation. Casey pushed Emma away, sitting up. "No, he ain't in jail. He's the one who shot me!"

The room went silent. April's face stilled, stiffened, then she stepped closer to him. "Eric Saks was arrested. I saw him at his trial, I _testified_ at his trial! He's been in jail…"

"Get glasses, sweetheart." Casey cut her off, tossing the phone back to the van guy. "This dude was standing in the parking lot of Saks Robotics an hour ago. I was following a street punk and…"

Casey's voice trailed off as April's breathing came rapidly, her face paling in disbelief. He wasn't too sure what the big deal was. Should she really be surprised? If the dude was rich, it probably wasn't that hard to pay off a couple of guards.

"April…" Emma reached for her friend's shoulder, but April backed away, making for the double doors out of the animal clinic.

"O'Neil." the van guy started after her, but she was already gone.

"Casey." Emma eyed him hard. "Are you _sure_ …"

"As clearly as I see you right now." Casey answered her, wondering what it was that they weren't getting. Emma mumbled under her breath, digging in her purse for her own phone. "You really know how to catch a girl's eye, Jones."

 _Whatever._ Casey looked down at his boxers and bloody hip. "Hey, shouldn't you finish putting me back together."

"Shut up!" Emma glared at him, shooting off a text.


	5. Chapter 5

**(M-M)**

"It's the bat signal!" Mikey waved his shell cell, skidding his skateboard to a halt. He'd been in the lead and his ninja brethren torpedoed past him with ease. They stopped just before the tunnel bended toward the East End.

"The what?" Raph eyed him from the pipe he dangled from.

"What have I told you about adding unidentified apps to your shell cell." Donnie wrenched his bike around on one wheel. Mikey shoved the phone screen in his face. "No dudes, Emma sent me the bat signal! She needs us to meet her. At that underpass where I blew up Vern's car."

"Is this part of that whacked secret code that you two cooked up?" Leo guessed.

"It's the _awesome_ secret code we invented in case of an emergency." Mikey corrected him, dancing from foot to foot. "Emma wouldn't use it unless it was important."

"Ya wanna know what I think your girlfriend sent ya." Raph grinned. Mikey huffed. "Don's allowed to have his own level of encryption. Why can't I?"

"Because it needs to be something that others can understand." Donnie said.

"What good would an encryption be if just anybody could understand it." Mikey threw up his hands. "Think, Donnie!"

"Well, one of us has to." Donnie sighed, though he gave Leo a look. "It wouldn't hurt to at least swing by. Eighty to twenty chance that it's nothing."

"Eighty being that it's nothing." Raph voted.

Leo sighed, then did one of his silent nods. Raph's roller blades hit the ground blading past Mikey. Mikey quickly pursued him, Donnie and Leo not far behind. Within seconds it became a race, with Leo beating Mikey by half a pipe. Under the grate, the four of them crouched in low, listening to the traffic along the highway. Mikey gripped his skateboard, his senses coming alive with the sounds of the city. There was always a mix of intrigue and fear when he caught glimpses of the surface. And it was the fear that made him want to go up all the time.

"See anybody, Donnie?' Leo whispered.

"Do you see Emma?" Mikey rephrased. He dug in his pack for the tossed out bottle of cologne he had found last week. He'd been waiting for the right moment to use it. Maybe he should've…

"There's a cab." Donnie spied through the grate, adjusting his mega-ultra goggles. "April's getting out."

That was a surprise to them all and they couldn't cram out of the drain fast enough. The cab was gone and April strode toward them, a woman on a mission. She was dressed in black heels, black coat, with a fuchsia dress flowing underneath it. Mikey whistled. "You clean up good, girl!"

April didn't offer anything back, not even a smile. She grabbed Don's arm, her eyes fierce and cheeks red. She'd been crying?

"Please," April struggled with a full sentence. "Donnie, please tell me you have a laptop on you."

"What kinda question is that?" Mikey guffawed, only to be punched in the solar plexus.

Leo stepped up to her, eyes glancing over to answers. "April, what's going…"

"Do you or don't you?" April demanded of Donnie, making them all back up. Mikey shared a look with Raph as Donnie got out his laptop wordlessly. April nodded in gratitude, wiping her eyes. "I need you to hack into the security system of Saks Robotics. Run the cameras covering their parking lot between five and seven tonight."

She had only needed to say 'hack' for Donnie to open the laptop, boot it up, and start typing away. "Care to tell me why?"

"I just…" April wiped under her eyes again. "I need to check something."

"You wanna sit down?" Raph offered, looking around for a comfortable spot… good luck.

"It'll take a couple minutes." Don warned her, looking up in concern.

"As long as it takes." April stated. Mikey had never seen this stoic side of her… it was sort of creeping him out.

"What are we looking for exactly?" Leo asked over Donnie's shoulder. April looked hesitant to answer him. "Emma and I ran into this guy… he's saying that Eric Saks isn't in jail."

The brothers all blinked at her.

"April, that's not possible." Leo said gently. "He's just messing with you."

"Let's go return the favor." Raph growled, spinning a sai out of his belt.

"That was my first thought." April raked her hair back. "Until I called the prison. The guard I spoke to told me that Saks requested solitary four months ago."

Mikey's brow furrowed. "Jailbirds can do that?"

"He claimed that he couldn't stand being around all the below average IQs." April paced. "A guard takes him his meals, but other then that, no one's seen him since."

"He has to be there." Leo insisted. "He tried to poison the whole city. No one would let him out."

Donnie coughed. "We'll know in a minute. I have the feed."

April and the others crowded in around the small screen. Donnie was showing four shots and fast forwarded them. A few employees came and went, leaving work for the day. Cars left and the lot remained empty for a good twenty minutes before some character swaggered up to a lamp post. He waited, smoked a cigarette, then was met by a tall figure in a business suit.

"Is that him?" April tensed, gripping Donnie's shoulder. "Is that Saks?"

"He's not facing the camera." Don said. "Though he certainly looks to be the right height and build."

He slowed the tape, all of them watching as the two dudes talked. Then the mystery man reached out and snapped the gangster's neck in one motion.

"Aw man." Mikey winced.

The figure started to pick up the lifeless body, but something off camera distracted him and he whipped out a gun, sending off three shots.

"That was the hockey mask vigilante," April filled them in. "Emma was fixing him up when I left."

"She's good with that." Mikey grinned.

"Yeah, helping out strays." Raph muttered.

"I still can't see his face." Don sighed. "Wait, he's exiting the lot with the body. Switching frames.

He did and everybody gasped. Sure enough, there stood Eric Saks!

}{}{}{}{}{

"It's Saks." Emma repeated when April called, two minutes after she and guys made the discovery.

"That's crazy." Vern shook his head from the van's driving seat. "I mean… how could it be?"

Emma checked Casey Jones out of her peripheral. She was sandwiched between the two as they took Jones back to his apartment. "Something tells me the police will find out. You might want to stay out of sight… until that wound heals up."

"Oh please," Casey scoffed. "The cops couldn't catch me if I came up behind 'em an' smacked 'em on the butt! And as for Saks, they're probably the ones who sprung him in the first place."

"Great." Vern rolled his eyes. "Another conspiracy theorist."

"What," Casey raised a brow. "You don't think that the boys in blue don't share their pockets with the Foot, or a Purple Dragon or two? That's why I wear the mask, ya know. Givin' the bad guys a tasta good every night… Up here, dude. This's me."

Vern slowed in front of a depleting apartment building, seven stories in the air, bars on the windows that weren't already broken. Had they been dropping off anyone else, Emma would be worried about leaving them here after dark.

"I feel like I should be getting extra pay for chaffering everybody around." Vern complained. Emma patted his shoulder- the only tip she could afford him- and followed Casey out of the van. She shuffled his golf bag around, grabbing his attention before she handed it over. "My professional opinion, lots of fluids and plenty of bed rest for the next two weeks. Whatever job you have, call in and say you twisted your wrist or something. The healing period will match up."

Casey laughed. "You done this before?"

"Covered for a bonehead?" Emma proposed. "Yes, many a time."

"Anyone I know?"

The thought that Carson and Casey might have crossed paths before he died, gave Emma pause in a sarcastic reply. She shrugged it off, handing Casey his bag. "I can't prescribe anything for the pain, other then ibuprofen. You were lucky to say the least. Try to avoid guns in the future."

"I make no promises." Casey grinned. "And tell Channel 6…" he grabbed Emma's arm and started etching with a pen. "She wants to finish that exclusive, give good ole Casey Jones a call."

Emma rolled her eyes. "I'll get right on that."


	6. Chapter 6

**I think it's time for a fight scene... what'd you think?**

 **}{}{}{** ** _Four Days Later_** **}{}{}{**

Raph slid down the make-shift ramp, gaining the momentum needed to super-vault himself through the air… leaving his brothers in the dust. He hit the top level of the parking garage and pressed into the shadows to avoid the corner camera. Raph held his position for twenty seconds longer while Don looped the feed; then he watched as his brothers flew their way onto the roof next to him. Not a word was spoken as they made their way to the southeast wall, putting them not eight feet from the side of Saks Robotics.

"I've clocked the guards at eight minute intervals." Raph explained, his excitement rising. "After Donnie hacks the motion sensors, our best bet's the elevator shaft; it connects with all the floors ventilation systems."

"Everybody have their watches synchronized?" Leo checked. Their plan of breaking into the building hindered on expert timing, so as to get in and out undetected.

"We'll have twelve minutes before anyone notices the trojan." Don eyed Mikey, as did Leo and Raph. "Sixteen, if they decide to be lazy. Michelangelo, you'll have twelve minutes to work your way in, grab Saks, work your way back up."

"Not thirteen minutes." Leo stressed. "TWELVE MINUTES, Mikey. And just bring back Saks, not something from the building's vending machines!"

"Don't mess it up, lame brain." Raph summed up the lecture.

Mikey's lip pouted. "Sheesh. One might think that you guys don't trust me."

There were mumbled responses, Raph mostly upset that he wasn't the one leading the mission. Mikey's short stature was the only reason he was even going. He had phoned Emma the minute he had been assigned and commenced bragging about it… to her and April. Bonehead, he needed to be more sensitive. April had been sensitive to everything since confirming that Saks wasn't in jail. But Mikey's behavior had earned him a couple of thwacks from Master Splinter, making it easier.

"Here goes nothing." Leo sighed. "We move on Donnie's signal."

 **}{}{}{}{**

"You gonna eat that, April?" Emma pointed to the last slice of sausage pizza resting in the greasy box. It was atop the six others that the guys had plowed through before they had gone on their mission to Saks Robotics. April waved her hand at it, watching the blank screen of Donnie's computer. Emma had continued to distract her with food, with work, even with sparring. But April wasn't going anywhere until she heard it over the police scanner. That Eric Saks was back in jail.

"I believe the phrase is 'a watched phone never rings'." Master Splinter spoke up from his lotus position behind her. April looked at him with a sigh. "I want blood, Splinter."

"We need answers." Splinter rephrased for her. "My sons will get them for you. I only ask that when they do, you will act with the level head I know you to have."

Splinter was a rat of few words, yet was so powerful and wise when he said them. April nodded, not trusting her words to respond.

"Nothing more frustrating then discovering that it's not over." Emma spoke out through a cheesy bite. "Won't the bad guys just take a hint and give up?"

"They did that and I'd be out of a job." April grinned, zeroing back in on the computer. "Half of the days, I almost wish…that Dad's death had been simple."

"He died saving New York City." Emma said. "And his killer has been convicted. The American government recognizes Saks as a killer and he's going to pay for it." she shrugged, becoming disinterested in her last bites of pizza. "Not all deaths are as clean-cut as that."

April reflected on that. Was Emma talking about Cherry or the person that her brother Caron had been when Cherry had killed him?

"Are you saying that because Carson wasn't the good guy?" April asked. Sure, it was blunt, but Emma wasn't one to measure other's sensitivity.

Emma fiddled with a napkin. "Mostly…He was a good brother, though. That's what makes it so confusing; how could he have been both, ya know. But let's not make this about me. You knew who your dad was, April. You've gotta take comfort in that, not having any questions."

"Well, I have plenty for Eric Saks." April's eyes narrowed. Emma rose and squeezed her into a hug. "We all do. You focus on your story- Thompson will kill you otherwise- and Splinter, the guys, and I will focus on Saks."

}{}{}{}{

Mikey hummed the Mission Impossible theme with vigor as he shimmied his way into the vent that would lead him down a hallway. His destination was the labs that Donnie's schematics showed to cover the five floors before him.

Donnie told him that Jailbird Saks had entered them almost three hours ago and hadn't left since. It would be a simple 'bag-n-snag'. His bros had pulled one on him countless times, when he 'lost' them in the sewers. In, out, and then it was back to jail for the scumbag who dared to torment April O'Neil's fragile heart. And Saks would stay there this time, if he knew what was good for him.

"Mikey!" Leo hissed in the communicator stuck in Mikey's ear. "Are you going to be humming the _whole time_!?"

"Are you going to ask questions you already know the answer to?" Mikey glanced down through the next vent. White tiles, white walls, glass doors with white trim… white tables loaded with white equipment on the occasional gray stand. Boy, could scientists be anymore boring? At least Donnie let him decorate his newest inventions with Sharpies. "Guys, I'm coming up on the lab now. I don't see anybody."

"The lab is made up of six individual rooms." Donnie explained. "You might have to check all of them to find Saks. Did you remember the spray?"

"Got the 'Nap Slap' right here." Mikey grinned, patting the canister secured to his belt. His brothers groaned. "Where do you come up with this stuff?"

"Emma came up with this one." Mikey told them proudly. "We spent, like, thirty minutes, before she came up with it. Unlike you stiffs, she gets it."

"Gets what?" Raph asked.

"You know," Mikey crawled sideways to access the passage that would get him down into the lab. "It."

"Mikey, there are a lot of 'its' in the world." Donnie said. "Could you be more specific?"

"Can't." Mikey shrugged. "The essence of Mikey can't be explained; it's universal. Like shrimp and marshmallow pizza."

Leo sighed through the comm. "My head hurts."

"Well, start focusing Fearless." Mikey scolded. "I'm entering the lab right now."

"Wait, Mikey!" Donnie cried. "I need to pinpoint Saks' exact location…"

"Too late." Mikey said. He drilled out the screws holding the grate to the ceiling, landing like a feather between two counters that ran the length of the room. The hallways, lit with florescent bulbs, cast everything into deep shadow. A ninja's playground. Mikey slowed his breathing, edging towards the doorway he spotted. It was cracked, there was light coming from it, and there were voices speaking. He grinned. _Stealthy tiger stalks the scrawny scarecrow…_

It was a crude description, but c'mon, Saks wasn't exactly a buff dude. If the guy thought to eat more pizza, he'd be in better shape. Pizza had all of the essentials. The crust provided your carbohydrates, the cheese was your dairy, and mushrooms, olives, or onions covered your vegetables… if you were into that kind of thing.

"I'm at a door." Mikey refocused, whispering into him comm. "Saks' likely on the other side."

"Once you're back in the ventilation system, I'll have to disable the trojan." Donnie prepped him. "You'll have to keep perfectly still until I can re-install under a different IP address. This will allow you to get back onto the roof without detection."

Mikey twirled his can of 'Nap Slap', only half listening. He was planning a catchy one-liner for when he got the drop on Saks. What would impress April and Emma the most when he retold them about his mission? April, by the way, was so going to owe him a kiss after this… after which, he'd be two to zero with his brothers! He LOVED being a turtle!

 _Got it!_ Inspiration hit Mikey and he burst through the door, canister ready. "Yo, Saks! Judgement Day… AAAAGGGHHHH!"


	7. Chapter 7

Raph always found something to be angry or uptight about; he could admit that about himself, if he felt like it. Right now, he was plenty peeved about being shown up by Mikey in their apprehension of Eric Saks. So what if he was too big to fit into the vents? He was a no nonsense solider, unlike his bonehead of a baby bro. But this irritation evaporated quickly as Mikey's scream split all of their ears.

"Mikey!" Raph grabbed his head, pressing the comm farther in. "What…"

"It's Frankenstein!" was the only scream that came back. "They're playing Frankenstein!"

"What?" Leo looked between Don and Raph. "Mikey, what's wrong?"

"Abort! Abort, guys!" Mikey cried, the whirl of his nunchaku filling the background. "Whhaa-ta..."

That answered nothing and replaced Raph's frustration. His sais were already out as Leo stepped back from the elevator doors. "Donnie…"

"Diverting security to a window alarm on the first floor." Donnie said, working at his wizard speed on his wrist computer. "Mikey's on the seventh floor. We can drop down through the elevator shaft right to him."

Raph braced himself and pulled the heavy elevator doors apart, exposing them to the long, drafty shaft that fell the height of the building. It was a long jump…

"Messin' with fire, brah," Mikey's repertoire came through again. "Flame shadow fire dragon, comin' at cha!"

"We have about fourteen seconds before he's captured." Don confirmed.

Not on Raph's watch. He leapt down the shaft, his brothers following, and caught the rim that dangled him just above the seventh floor doors. Ugh, more doors; Bracing his toes on the narrow steel ledge, Raph pried them open. He nearly lost his footing but pulled himself into the hallway… and promptly ducked to avoid a shuiken whizzing for his head. He looked up to where the hallway had become a battlefield. Six Foot soldiers, fighting one ninja turtle.

"Dosen't look very fair." Leo slid through the doors, katanas singing from their sheaths. Raph grinned. "Yeah, almost makes you feel sorry that we showed up."

"I'm not complaining." Mikey yelled back at them. "But-"

"Wild horses couldn't keep us away." Donnie joked, jutting his bo staff out proudly.

Within minutes, all of the Foot were down and out and it was just the turtle brothers, facing none other then Eric Saks. He eyed them rather vacantly, unimpressed by all the superiority they had just displayed. But this only fueled Raph's pursuit for justice… and yes, a little pain.

"Time to go home, Saks." Raph jeered at the irritably calm man; seriously, this is what Mikey was yelling about? "We know of a nice padded cell with your name on it."

"My presence is not required there." Saks spoke, locking his hands behind his back. "Yours, on the other hand, raises many… inquiries."

"The Q & A panel is closed." Leo took the 'Nap Slap' from Mikey. "Let's go."

"Wait, Leo…" Mikey started, but Saks' arm flew out, grabbing Leo's wrist. He jerked, there was a snap, and the canister hit the ground. Saks remained stoic, matching Leo's strength and pushing him back.

"Um…" Don stiffened beside him. "By all human accounts, that shouldn't be possible."

"Your human forms are known for their primitiveness." Saks said. "But with the proper engineering, their limits can be stretched."

"You're gonna need more then stretching, pal." Raph growled, charging forward. He drove a headline punch at the smug face, but found himself sailing forward from the force when his punch only met air. What the… the science geek had dodged him! Raph let out a roar, glaring at Saks, ready to charge again.

"Raph!" Mikey cried. "It's not _him_ you need to worry about!"

What did that mean? What could be more important then…

"Oh shell." Donnie gasped and Raph turned as a looming figure stepped out of the laboratory door. The dude was Japanese, older, with scars on the one side of a stern face. Raph narrowed his eyes. "Who's this joker?"

In response, the man cracked his neck to both sides. "Back for another lesson, I see."

Then the face registered in Raph's brain, back to the photos that all the news stations had flashed over their screens last year.

"Oruku Saki." Leo stated in bewilderment, as they all backed up in shock. Raph joined them, only to steel himself. "There's no way! We turned you into pavement pizza."

"You made the foolhardy mistake of all my adversaries." Saki, the Shredder, grinned slyly. "You underestimated the height of my power. And now I can send you to your graves wallowing in shame and defeat."

"Guess again, Tin Grin!" Raph hurled a sai at him.

Donnie called out, but there was nothing to stop Raph from attacking Shredder. He had a score to settle with this guy and he no longer had his precious battle suit to hide behind. The fuming turtle punched, the Shredder blocked him. Then he surprised Raph with a sweep kick that fell him against the wall. Raph saw his own sai being plunged toward him, but it was blocked by Don's bo. Shredder's eye flared and he gripped the staff with his other hand. He pulled it in, flipped the sai's sharp end and stabbed Donnie in the shoulder. Donnie yelped and Raph kicked, giving him room to push himself up and get his brother behind him.

"Raph!" Leo's stern voice ordered over the face-off. "Fall back, NOW!"

"C'mon, man." Mikey urged, catching a faltering Don.

"Run, pests." Shredder smirked. "Tell the rat I look forward to a rematch."

Raph stepped forward, fists clenched.

"Raphael!" Leo shouted, but Raph gave his glare two more seconds before following his brother. This maniac wasn't getting near his sensei, or his family, _ever_ again!


	8. Chapter 8

As Donatello felt April's hand on his shoulder- the one that wasn't harboring a three-pronged Japanese knife- he couldn't help feeling a twinge of guilt. Leo sat beside him on the couch, nursing his dislocated wrist. They had arrived home minutes ago, sending Emma scurrying for the first aid kit and any other items needed. Didn't matter what she did though; none of them would feel the closure that they had been expecting. They had failed to recapture Saks and Donnie saw that as letting April down.

"So… you saw him?' April asked for the eighth time. It was killing Don to see her so disappointed. "He's going to jail, April. I don't care who we have to plow through to do it, but Saks will be in jail before this is over."

April shook her head at him. "Even in the infirmary, you're the one taking care of others."

"It's a gift." Don grinned at her as Emma walked up. His grin evaporated. Leo had insisted that Don be treated first; which made sense. Didn't mean he had to like it though. April's hand moved into his, holding it tight.

"Ok," Emma gulped, clutching a bunch of gauze. "Up until now, Raph's sai has plugged the bleeding. When I pull it out, I'm going to pour peroxide into the holes to prevent infection…"

"There isn't any infection!" Raph barked from the opposite wall. "My steel's clean enough to eat off of."

"You wanna take over, Dr. Grey?" Emma challenged, bringing her hand to grip the red leather handle. Her eyes met Donnie's. "I count to three and breathe out."

Donnie nodded, gripping his staff with all his might. "One…"

"Two…" April and Emma continued.

"Three!" Mikey cried, hating to be left out of anything. Donnie gasped, first at the sai's release from his flesh, then at the sting of the peroxide. Emma topped the holes off with her gauze, having April hold it while she wrapped it tight, layer upon white layer to Don's skin with plenty of surgical bandages. She refused to be satisfied until his circulation was cut off.

"You know it's going to need air." Donnie winced.

"Not until that bleeding clots up." Emma told him sternly, turning her attention to Leo's wrist. Leo complied, barely flinching as she popped it back into its proper place. He draped it in their homemade sling of a stained bed sheet, and that was that. Lucky him.

"Now that it has been set right." Master Splinter sat straighter. "What happened tonight, my sons?"

"Why didn't you grab Saks?" April redirected the question. Donnie met her heated green eyes again and wished that he had more comfort to offer. "Things got complicated, April."

"So complicated that you couldn't grab one guy?" April's face tightened; she looked from one brother to the other. Donnie saw a faith being shattered; or at least cracked.

"What are four black-belts to one lab coat?" April went on.

"April," Master Splinter outstretched a gentle hand. "I'm certain that there is an explanation."

"It better be a good one for letting my dad's murderer get away." April tried to catch her breath, close to tears. Donnie touched her arm, but she pulled away.

"She's right." Leo spoke up, his own eyes heated and staring at his wrist. "There's no excuse for failure."

"Oh, don't you start, solider boy." Raph snipped at their goal-oriented brother.

Mikey rushed up to April then, putting his hands on both her arms. "Oh, it's a good one, April. This is a good excuse 'cuse nobody at Channel 6 will believe it. You ready? Here it is… Shred Head's back!"

Both April and Emma blanched and Master Splinter stiffened. "Impossible."

"My sentiments exactly, sensei." Donnie moved his shoulder slightly… bad move! "There's no feasible way that Oruku Saki should have been standing before us."

"And yet he was." Leo sighed, hanging his head.

"I saw him!" Mikey insisted to Splinter. "And Raph fought him… sort of."

"Shut up, bonehead!" Raph shouted, kicking out sideways at his favorite punching bag. "For a guy who fell three thousand feet, he threw a good punch."

"He should be in no condition to throw anything." Emma bit at her thumbnail, as Master Splinter began pacing, hands wrung behind his back.

"And anyone else notice Saks' mighty stand against Leo?" Mikey jumped in with more good news. "Dude must've been on steroids."

"He beat _you!"_ April stared at Leo in disbelief. Leo opened his mouth, but nothing came out in his defense. Donnie sometimes wondered if he even had one; no one was harder on Leo then himself.

Emma's expression deepened in worry, "So… basically the snake that is the Foot Clan, just regrew its head?"

Donnie shook his head, dismissing her mumbling. "I've been racking through the possibilities… Mikey, what exactly did you see in there?"

"I don't know." Mikey shrugged, unhooking his skateboard from his backpack. "Like something out of _House_? Hospital bed, monitors, and a doctor. And there was Shredder, like he was just getting over a cold."

"No casts?" Don pressed. "No prostatic limbs?"

"Nothing, bro." Mikey said, tweaking his board's back wheel. "You all saw him; dude's acting like last year's tumble never happened."

"He said that we underestimated him." Leo stewed as he recalled the words. "I don't like the fact that he's right."

"It had to be a trick or something." Raph cried. "A hologram, or…"

"I agree with Leonardo." Splinter contemplated. "We've made the first move, and the first mistake. Fine, then we learn from it and move ahead." He turned to his sons with alighted eyed. "Take the offensive on this, against this enemy. We must strike hard! We must strike NOW!"

Silence filled the lair a moment. Raph's eyes flicked to Don's. _Who's this rat and what'd he do with Master Splinter?_

"The mutagen." Emma spoke up suddenly, checking her knots on Donnie's bandages. "You guys say that Saki had it with him when he fell?"

"But it smashed." Leo told her. Emma raised a brow. "Did you see it?"

"C'mon, Gorgeous." Mikey said, arms spread out. "It's pretty obvious…"

"Did. You. SEE. It?" Emma repeated. "April, you covered the aftermath of Shredder's plummet. Did the police recover a broken canister?"

April took this in, catching on. "If the mutagen has the healing capabilities that Saks implied… if even a little bit was injected into Oruku Saki…"

Donnie's mind started reeling, his brain turning over the tests he had been running on their blood over the last four months. "It's certainly possible… course, they would have had to recalibrate the process of acceleration in order to…" He paused. "But how have they been keeping him alive? All that equipment takes money and Saks' assets have been frozen since his arrest."

"But not the actual building." April reminded him. "Somehow, they've managed to keep Saks Robotics open."

"Enough companies actually show interest?" Raph scoffed.

"Or Shredder's second, Karai, had some back-up funds." Leo brought up. "A fail safe in case expenses like this came up."

"So we're saying that the Shredder's been on sick leave this whole time?" Raph cried in frustration.

"There's always one bad guy that comes back." Mikey said with an eerie wave of his hand.

"This isn't one of your stupid comics, Mikey!" April snapped at him, her hands balled into fists. "These are real people who've murdered and manipulated, and… and they need to be stopped!"

"And they will, April." Master Splinter told her softly. "But should we act rashly, then our enemies will have already won."

 _And Splinter's back._ Donnie would've laughed on any other given day.

"From the looks of things, Shredder's already won." April showed anger for the first time towards the humble rat. "He got the best of your little band of Jackie Chans. Meanwhile, Saks is still out there."

Emma moved over to her. "April…"

April threw her hand off with a huff. "I need some air."

She stalked from the lair, yellow jacket flapping like a mad witch's cape. Donnie's disappointment heightened, as did his brothers'.

"She really shouldn't be left alone." Leo cocked his head after April. Emma nodded. "I'm on it. I can also get some painkillers…"

"No." Leo stood, back straight. "We need to stay sharp; we'll be fine."

He bowed to her, as did Donnie. Emma dipped her head in response, waved good-bye to Mikey, and ran out after April. The boys shuffled their feet in the moments after, finally taking the silent moments to process the new reality they found themselves in.

"April wants blood." Raph finally spoke, an admiring grin on the corner of his lips.

"Can you blame her?" Mikey looked at the exit sadly. "In a country where liberty and justice propel the government, one city finds itself starving for both…"

"Shut up, Mikey!" Raph, Leo, and Don groaned at him.

"This is not the time to joke, Michelangelo." Master Splinter agreed.

"Hai sensei." Mikey pouted.

"What'd you want us to do, Leo?" Donnie looked at Leo, knowing they made a sore sight with their wounds still fresh. But it wasn't that that bugged him so much; it was the lack of facts surrounding the whole situation. It made him nervous. He needed an objective and he often sought Leo for those.

Leo's face tightened in its seriousness. "Tighten security on the lair and we'll start surveillance on Saks Robotics tomorrow night."

"Won't they be expecting that?" Raph worried.

"Not the way Donatello does it." Leo patted Donnie on his good shoulder. "There's something more to all this and we need you to find out what it is, brainiac."

"On it." Donnie saluted their leader and headed for his hub of computers. Nothing as elaborate as the ones he'd had before, but they'd get the necessities done.

"Yo, Don."

Donnie looked back, finding that Raph had followed him. The burly turtle rubbed at his neck in discomfort. "Back there, what you did and all… thanks."

Donnie nodded. "Anytime."

 **Lots to ponder, lots to question, and lots of fights to look forward to... keep reading and commenting!**


	9. Chapter 9

"Think you could slow down." Emma darted out of the evening traffic, hitting the curb with her toe in her eagerness to keep up with April. Her own mind was reeling with all the scattered pieces that were now throwing themselves into their stewpot. Saks Robotics… Oruku Saki… her parents showing up in less then ten hours! That wasn't coincidence that was coordination.

Her dad and Oruku Saki… it had happened before. It was a horrible, unforgivable thought, but why couldn't her dad be sporting a tombstone like Mr. O'Neil? It would make this situation so much smoother on her end, and she could just focus on being a good friend. Not someone that April and the guys would shun, if they knew that her dad was coming to New York City, specifically to meet people at Saks Robotics. And that, dollars to doughnuts, he was only coming because he already knew about Saki's miraculous recovery. Maybe even knew the details of his recovery…

April fumed as she slammed her cell shut. She looked ready to chuck it to the ground. "Vern's not answering!"

"He's likely asleep." Emma said. "It's going on one in the morning."

"I'll call one of the graveyard camera crews then." April nodded to her phone. Emma watched her motions over the keypad, like a tempest. "For what?"

"For a late night interview outside of Saks Robotics!" April seethed, but the harder she tried to dial a specific number, the shakier her fingers got. "Somebody over there has to know something…"

"And they're going to just tell you?" Emma grabbed the phone, getting April to look at her. "April, think! Breathe!"

April jerked her head up and the girls stared off for a moment. Then April let her hands fall, defeated to her sides. "It was supposed to be done, ya know. I could finally put Saks and Dad behind me and go to Dad's grave without feeling obligated and lacking… I could just concentrate on missing him."

Emma licked her lips, knowing to word this carefully. "It _will_ end; you know that the guys won't rest till it does. They've got as much riding on Saks and Shredder getting canned as you do." She shrugged awkwardly. "When you think about it, I'm really the only one who's not emotionally invested. Kinda makes you wonder why I even tag along with you guys really… I guess I provide comic relief…"

Like she was even bothered by playing such a backseat role. Military father and self-serving mother, breathing down the neck of their one good child? Give her four mutant turtles and an over-zealous field reporter any day.

"Emma," April held up her hand, suppressing a grin. "I'm happy to have you in any case. The guys too, I'm sure."

Ugh, guilt, guilt, guilt… Emma laughed over her potential wigging out. "If Mikey proposes to either one of us though, we've got a problem."

"Ugh, please no." April joined in the laughter. Good, she needed to. Emma offered to splurge on a late night snack, but April was only interested in sleep. They hopped onto the next subway station and crossed the four blocks to their apartment building. Emma was loving the chance to experience off-campus living, when she wasn't putting in her hours at the clinic. An extra-inch of independence went a long way in a person's morale.

But Emma knew that the city wasn't any permanent place for her. It was too tight, too busy, and there wasn't nearly enough water around. She had only enrolled at New York University to keep an eye on Carson; her sole mission had been to yank him back onto the narrow path by his duped ears.

The overall plan had to be for two more years in the Big Apple, cinching all of her core classes, before she careened down to Florida for an internship with Sea World! That'd occupy her summer, before hitting graduate school for a master's in marine biology… Course, since meeting Mikey and his brothers, life in the city had become soooo much more intriguing.

"Emma!" April grabbed her arm, pulling Emma out of her inner monologue.

The black van that zoomed past them had come out of nowhere. It braked and backed up, roaring up onto the curb. Emma's neck hairs tingled with the sensation of being trapped. The side door opened and masked men jumped out. They were followed by an unmasked Japanese woman. Red highlights stood out amidst all the black.

 _Karai._ Emma knew instantly, though six years separated the last time she'd seen her. She backed up with April, knowing there was only a dead-end alley behind them.

"Kanojo getto!" Karai ordered her men, pointing fiercely at April. Emma's chest boiled and she narrowed her eyes. "Anata ga tames koto ga dekimasu!"

Karai looked her way, shocked at her understanding. Did she recognize her? Emma slung off her backpack, at the same time April dug into her jeans pocket. Emma knocked the foremost solider to the side and used this momentum to send a spin kick into the chest of the one behind him. _Wow, my timing is five times faster then normal! Sparring with Mikey has really paid off!_

Emma delivered plenty of force, how some ever, none of that compared to the blunt butt of a gun. It hit her from the side, square in the eye. This sent spots dancing across her vision as she fell hard to the ground. She heard a _zzziiizzzz_! followed by a heavy grunt; April had unleashed her taser on someone. Emma struggled up, only to be forced back down, a forearm crushing into her chest. She looked up at the grease-painted face of a Foot croonie. He grinned maliciously. "Nah-uh, girly."

Emma retaliated with a bite into his forearm. His smugness turned to pain. He cursed as Emma scrambled to get her legs up and over, squeezing his head with her knees. She gripped the wrist, released her teeth, and yanked, dislocating it but good. A little payback for Leonardo!

"April!" Emma screamed, rolling out of her attacker's grasp. She shot up for the two soldiers who had grabbed her friend.

"Emma!" April twisted her arms in vain.

"Let her go!" Emma yelled, jumping on the back of one. She feigned a chokehold, really only knowing what she had seen from Jackie Chan and Chuck Norris. Then again, Jackie Chan usually just kicked and punched to render his opponents unconscious; thus dwindling her visual aids by a third… boy, that put her in a bad spot…

"Goongala!" a shout rang out and in a blur of sports equipment, there was Casey Jones taking the Foot on with twin baseball bats. Emma remained on the Foot soldier's back, as blindsided as anyone, watching him go to town. Until Karai stepped in, easily knocking Casey back with a kick to the neck.

 _Ow!_ Emma winced. _His shaggy hair won't protect him from that!_

In the respite, April had managed to shove one of the soldiers back. Now he lunged forward, grabbed her hair, and flung her towards the idling van. Emma's own hair exploded in pain as she was yanked off of the soldier's back. She squealed, turning rapidly on her assailant, ready to claw his eyes out. Only a giant green hand beat her to it, knocking him away from her. Emma held her head, grinning up at Mikey. "Hey, Handsome."

"April!" Raphael cried out and April ducked just in time for the turtle to blast out of nowhere, smashing the Foot soldier's face with his fist.

"Watch this, Gorgeous!" Mikey winked at Emma, leaping into a split kick on two advancing soldiers.

"Mikey!" Emma shouted a warning, her peripheral catching Karai raising a gun. She didn't prefer a repeat of four months ago. But in the last second, there was Casey, body slamming her in to the side of the alley. "I have a code not to hit women, but you are _really_ testing me, Sunshine!"

"Insolent…" Karai swore, switching her gun on him. Raph was quicker and swung his sai around to knock the weapon out of her hands. It hit the ground, bounced, and skidded. Emma dove for it, tucking and rolling, and clicking the safety off as she came up.

"What now, knoichi?" she hissed at Karai, less then two feet from her. She watched her down the gray barrel, raising her voice for all to hear. "Leave now or I pop her one!"

The Foot's motions ceased, realizing the risk to their leader. Other then Oroku Saki, that is. Emma forced her nerves to steady as Karai glared at her. She pointed at the van with the gun; this wasn't the first time she had wielded one, nor shot one either. If Karai's memory served her right, she would know that.

"Another day." Karai promised.

"Looking forward to it." Raph growled at her.

With a close of her fist, Karai and the Foot retreated into the van. It peeled away, almost as quickly as it had come. Everybody breathed out, Emma lowering the gun. She nearly jumped out of her skin when April clutched her shoulder. " _What_ were you thinking?!"

"Plenty gutsy, I'd say." Casey twirled one of his bats back into his bag. "Hey, did you ever give Channel 6, my number?"

Emma scowled at him, then focused on April. "I was… winging it?"

April sighed, swatting the gun from her hand. "Yeah, you've been known to do that."

"Well, what would you have me do?"

"Let someone more qualified handle it next time." Mikey said, strapping his nunchaku back into his belt. "I mean, really Gorgeous…"

"Whoa!" Casey flipped a golf club out of his bag, swinging it between Emma and Mikey. "Back up, freak!"

Was he just noticing their appearance _now_?

"Freak!" Raph's chest puffed up. "You seen that mask lately, birdbrain?"

Casey pulled April behind him before she could protest. He pushed Mikey back with the head of the club. "I mean it man, back off! Get outta here!"

"Or what?" Raph challenged. "You gonna putt me a hole in one?"

"Casey…" April started.

"Best not to go up against me, scum." Casey seethed, the club now his scepter. "I NEVER miss."

Raph leaned in, sais at the ready. "Neither do I."

Mikey rolled his eyes. "Yeah, right brah."

"Shut up." Raph glared, the distraction enough for Casey to whack him across the torso. Emma groaned. Raph gasped, getting a second strike to the jaw.

"Casey, STOP!" April moved in between them.

Too late. Raph's hazel eyes had sparked and he barreled into Casey, smashing them both into the nearest collection of trash cans. "You wanna dance, gakface!? I got all night!"

"Oooohh!" Casey coughed, struggling to get up. "It's on, meathead!"

"Lard butt!"

"Big Nose!"

"Cat fight!" Mikey yelled out randomly. Emma snorted, covering her mouth.

"Enough!" April cried, pushing Raph and Casey away from each other. "We were just fighting a common enemy, remember? What're you two doing here, anyway?"

"Leo worried that the Foot would try to get to us." Mikey slapped Raph's shell, like it might take the anger out of him. "He sent me and Hothead here to make sure you guys got home safely."

"You made good time." Emma commented, shuddering to think if they'd been one second later.

"No traffic." Raph spat, his glare still on Casey. "It's not likely that they'll try anything more tonight. We better get back."

"Thanks, Handsome." Emma batted an eye at Mikey, making him grin. "Any time, Gorgeous!"

"Wait a minute!" Casey interjected, arms flapping like a mad man. "Wait a minute… you _know_ these biology rejects?"

Emma shoved him in the shoulder, right as April smacked him over the head. "What, you think you're the only vigilante running around?"

Casey raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, but… at least I've got a sense of style."

"Dude, one word. Hair!" Mikey pointed, indicating Casey's frizzy locks. Casey flipped up his mask, cheeks flaring scarlet. April's hands went back up, defusing any possible conflict. "Ok, can we all just take a breath?"

Mikey didn't need any convincing, leaning on the wall next to Emma. Raph breathed heavily, obviously wanting to go a few rounds with Mr. Jones. Show him who was top turtle. After everything that had transpired, Emma could use a laugh… but then Mikey stepped in. "C'mon Raph, it's late… and… we'll miss our pizza delivery."

 _Oh, great save._ Emma sighed helplessly at him.

"Another day, pansy." Raph threw in before he followed Mikey up the drain pipe. They flipped onto the roof and out of sight. Casey snorted. "Yeah, I'm the pansy. He's the one taking orders from a woman."

"Excuse me!?" Emma and April whipped their heads around.


	10. Chapter 10

They needed to find Saks. There were many unanswered questions and he was the best choice for getting those answers. And to do that, they just needed to break through the thick of the Foot Clan, and the walking dead impersonation of the Shredder. Leonardo tried to keep the stress of these tasks from crowding his morning meditation.

He devoted a couple hours with each dawn and dusk, putting himself in the best mental shape possible. He wanted to give the best… for his family and the city. With the Shredder back, the threat to both had risen significantly. Not to mention that his wrist was killing him. Had Emma set it right? No, that was a stupid question.

"You're trying too hard to simplify your thoughts." Master Splinter's voice jolted Leo back to the lair. He opened his eyes to find his father folding into position across from him. He offered his gentle smile. "Meditation is meant for the opposite, Leonardo. Let the thoughts flow rather then be held back. Even the bad ones."

Leo nodded. "Some days prove harder then others, sensei."

"Mmmm…" Splinter nodded in kind. "Then perhaps you would prefer a more hands-on approach."

In spite of his wrist, Leo grew excited at the invitation to spar. He rose and prepared his katanas.

"Hey, Leo!" Donnie suddenly called out. The rooms of the lair flowed into each other, so voices carried easily. Nevertheless, Donatello's head poked into the dojo, eyes excited. "We've got something at Saks Robotics. Looks like a military escort."

Leo shared a look with Splinter, sheathing his swords. He followed back to where Donnie's screens panned the perimeter cameras of the complex. Three black cars passed through the front gates, the flags flapping from their hoods symbolized that they belonged to a U.S. naval command. Naval?

"What are they doing there?" Leo wondered aloud.

"Your guess is as good as mine." Donnie sighed. "But a picture's worth a thousand words and these scream 'government conspiracy."

"Thought you were more level-headed then that, Donnie." Leo joked. His gazed lingered on his brother's bandaged shoulder. "Where are we at on the records?"

"Nowhere." Donnie admitted warily. "And not just because I'm typing with one hand. It's all encrypted data stream. "Individual coding for each employee; none of which I recognize. I couldn't tell you where to start digging and there's no telling how long it could take to crack just the one stream of data… but get this."

Donnie switched his laptop from one of the cameras at Saks Robotics to another on a gray, padded room. Leo leaned in. "Donnie, what am I looking at?"

"One of the many isolation cells at the local big house." Donnie said. "I didn't think to look into it until an hour ago. We watched that footage the other night and my mind was just going really fast after that. I mean, it was a really big shock, otherwise I would've thought to check…"

"Donnie!" Leo placed a calming hand on his shoulder. The geek blushed, straightening his glasses. "Uh, right. My point is, Saks' stand against us didn't make sense to me. He's too smart to pick a fight that he can't win. So I checked and found the isolation cell that Saks was relocated to. And found Saks in it."

Leo leaned over, squinting his eyes at the screen. Seriously? But sure enough, there sat Eric Saks, reading on the edge of his prison bed. "Then… what did we battle last night?"

"I…" Donnie rubbed his shoulder. "Have no idea."

Great! Suddenly a simple task like talking to Eric Saks wasn't so simple anymore.

}{}{}{}{}{

"Imogene, my darling Imogene!" Mom burst out of the taxi, arms all aflutter. With her cream-yellow blouse and coral jacket, she gave off the same vibe as a butterfly. Emma couldn't help but smile and return her hug enthusiastically. It clouded over her initial feelings of guilt and adrenaline. "Hey, Mom!"

"Oh, my baby!" Mom pulled back and moved her hands up Emma's arms, her shoulders, and cheeks. "I swear, the more you're gone… look at you! You've been keeping up your health? You keep your pepper spray on your person, right?"

 _Like I need pepper spray._ Emma held in a snort. Fists were so much more effective. _Focus, girl! You're on a mission here._

It had taken her the hours between April's near abduction by the Foot and choosing her clothes for an outing with her parents, to decide on a plan of action regarding Saks Robotics. The whole thing was tearing April up and Emma knew there was only one way to move forward.

"Where's…" Emma's eyes went to the tall, distinguished man getting out of the taxi behind Mom. "Daddy!"

That word always worked, even on a hardhead like Dad. Emma went into his arms, giving a meaningful squeeze. Dad barely squeezed back, landing a peck on her cheek. "Stop growing on me, kid. You'll have me outgrown by Christmas."

Emma laughed. "Dad, you've been four inches taller then me since tenth grade. Ready for breakfast? I'm starved, craving something with pecans and whipped cream…"

"Hold on!" Mom cried. "Before you head down _that_ lane, weren't we due to meet your roommate? Almost two months and I haven't laid so much as an eye on the girl…"

"Dad's background check told you everything I'm sure." Emma threw a teasing glance at her father. What was he up to? Good luck seeing anything through that impenetrable military persona. "But we had a late night and she's still sleeping."

"At 9:30?" Dad's eyes furrowed.

"She doesn't work today, _Dad_." Emma said, though it wasn't any of his business. She'd been trying to protect April from his scrutinizing since she'd moved in. "Plus, she has… a lunch date to prepare for. Figured I'd hang out with you all until she's done, and you guys can meet her afterwards."

It was hardly a suggestion; it was her entire game plan for finally contributing to the New York battlefield. There was only so much glory in being the team's medic. Boy, did that sound selfish! But what else was she supposed to do? There was only one person capable of gaining further access into Saks Robotics and that was her! The less April and the turtles knew about her parents, the better.

Unfortunately, the bridge of Dad's nose had already furrowed. "Emma, I'm afraid I have a few meetings to attend, beginning at noon…"

"Oh," Emma pouted, her sights already on her mother. "Well, I guess it's you and me, Mommy Dearest. I can finally take you downtown, like you wanted."

Mom wrinkled her nose uncomfortably. "Oh, Emma, I'm afraid I've been invited along with your father. Hands to shake and cheeks to kiss, you know."

 _Do I ever._ Emma cringed at memories of Navy balls where people either pinched your cheeks or turned up their noses at you. But she only heightened her smile. "Well, if that's the case, why don't I go with you?"

The furrow went deeper. Dad straightened his tie, which was already starched like a statue. "Emma, we both know I can't just bring you by last minute."

"We both know it's nothing a couple phone calls can't solve." Emma pointed out, her eyebrow lifted in mischief. "And General Hawkins will be there won't he? He'll never forgive you if he misses the chance to see me."

"This isn't a Fourth of July BBQ, Emma," Dad motioned for them to climb into the waiting cab. "This is business."

"Yet, you're taking Mom." Emma countered. She wrapped both her arms around Dad's left elbow. "Please? You know that I'm not one to embarrass you… much…"

Mom laughed. "Emma, since when are you so interested in your father's business functions?"

"Since I haven't seen you both for weeks." Emma held on tighter. "And can you promise me that you'll be in the states during Easter break next month." She turned soulful eyes up at her father. "C'mon, Dad. I will be your best little solider there, I promise."

Dad considered her for a moment; then gave a stoic nod. "Tell the cab driver where to take us for breakfast; I need to make a few calls."

"Wonderful." Mom beamed. Emma planted a kiss on Dad's cheek. She kept their arms linked as she leaned forward to speak with the driver. Little did they know how big she was smiling on the inside. _And that's how I do it!_

 **Well, this can only end badly.**


	11. Chapter 11

April bounced her fingernails against the kitchen countertop, staring at the screen of her laptop with growing hatred. Emma had left a couple of hours ago to join her parents for brunch, but she had left a note, giving April a lecture on not doing anything rash or stupid. Well, research on Saks Robotics was neither; it was educational.

The robotics company had been Saks' first nationwide enterprise and high technological demands kept it fully funded. It's employee dossier however… there wasn't anything beyond a 'well-established team of intelligent and determined individuals', as par their website. No pictures or biographies, nor any mentions of partnering companies. It was common P.R. for a company to boast about it's personal and it's corporate connections. Saks Robotics listed neither of these things.

April opened her notebook and searched for the contact number of Jacob O'Dell, an attorney that had been helping to handle Saks' court case. The story of her dad's murder had instantly put her on his office's speed dial, a high profile case like this. April dialed, only to be met with the voicemail. Figured. April left a message and prepared to call a police informant, when her buzzer sounded.

 _Who's that?!_ April stilled, mouth going dry. _Emma has a key, Vern's covering for a fellow cameraman, and I'm not expecting any mail._

She had had more then a little trouble falling asleep last night and had gotten up to check the deadbolt three times. Donnie had texted to assure her that he had all the street cameras watching their apartment. Any suspicious activity and an alarm would sound on his phone, so at least she had that.

The buzzer rang out again and April went over to press the button. "Who is it?"

"The dude of your dreams." came a cocky reply. April's tense shoulders relaxed. "What'd you want, Jones?"

"Just a little face-to-face time with New York's #1 field reporter! The hottest one also."

Good grief, he was worse then Mikey! April looked back at the wall clock. "Don't you have a job?"

"My boss gave me an early lunch." Casey said.

April's eyebrow arched at the intercom. "Who's your boss?"

"Me." he told her proudly.

"Go away." April said, more forcibly this time.

"Aw, c'mon." Casey persisted. "You tellin' me that you couldn't use some free food after all that happened last night?"

Appealing to her empty, growling stomach. That was low. April stared at the intercom angrily, and then hit the button. "How'd you feel about coneys?"

In five minutes she powered down her laptop, pulled a jean jacket over her red shirt and threw her feet into some converse. Alright, they were Emma's converse, but she had worn April's checkered scarf twice last week. April broke out into the sunshine on the steps of her building and spotted the bulky Jones instantly, leaning on the bike rack.

April found herself taken aback, seeing, rather then a hockey mask, a strong, tan face and giant blue eyes. His jeans and olive shirt were streaked with grease, but at least the shirt was tucked in. His long, black hair even looked combed. He spotted her and smiled eagerly. "Coneys, huh? I wouldn't have pegged you for a coney-type of girl."

"Why?" April's hand went to her hip. "Because I'm too busy counting calories and keeping my butt in shape?"

"Noooo…" Casey's cheeks went red. "I… your friend seems more coney, you look… I don't know, vegan."

April wrinkled her nose. "Well, I'm not. You want to finish your interview or what?"

Casey pulled himself up, producing a helmet. April looked at it. "What's that for?"

"Your chariot awaits." he gestured to the motorcycle lined up on the curb. April gulped, taking the helmet. She hopped on, jumping when Casey opened up the engine. He eased off of the clutch and suddenly they were weaving through New York City traffic at ten miles over the speed limit. April dug her fingers into Casey's shirt. He smelled funky, but she held on until they had reached Central Park and took up his offer of a slathered Coney dog.

"You gonna want my picture or somethin'?" Casey hoped as they grabbed a bench; the sun made up for the otherwise cold air. He wiggled thick eyebrows at her. "Every hot story needs a handsome headshot."

April rolled her eyes. "Did you work on that alliteration all morning?"

"Allit- what?"

 _Unbelievable._ April scoffed, unwrapping her dog.

"Why so defensive?" Casey slouched beside her, half of the coney already in his mouth. April tried to get past her initial disgust. "Sorry. I'm just on edge."

Casey swallowed. "I hear ya. Runnin' into the Foot can rattle the nerves."

April bit into her coney with a shrug. Casey cocked his head at her silence. "Or… maybe it's more then that."

Was her aggravation that transparent? Or was he a mind reader underneath the gruff- and yes, buff- exterior? Casey leaned in ever so slightly. "C'mon, what is it? What's eating at you, Channel 6?"

April wiped her mouth, weighing her options. The scope of everything had grown with the events of yesterday; risker. But then, what was one stranger's opinion? It could be one of those diamond-in-the-rough situations. She swallowed her second tasty bite. "You watch Channel 6, Jones?"

"I watch all your workout videos." Casey snickered.

April was off the bench and walking before he could blink. She didn't look back as he came after her. "Ok, ok, sorry…" He cut off her escape. "That was rude, I… was just trying to lighten the mood."

April glared, but allowed him to escort her back to the bench. If they were going to have this conversation, it was going to be her way. It was always routine, dragging respect out of the male species. It wasn't like that with the guys; in fact, she often had to get Leonardo to tone the respect down.

"Your last couple of screen times was covering that Saks guy, am I right?" Casey was speaking now, back-peddling at break neck speed.

"Yeah," April nodded, sipping at her water. "My first big story after two years with the station. I was getting to watch the conviction of the man who killed my father."

Casey's whole face softened. "I'm sorry, April. But when's that something to be down about? Dude's getting his."

April took a deep breath, the familiar anger rising. "Because, he- Eric Saks- isn't. Don't ask me how I know, but he's not in jail. He's out somehow and… something's going on at his company Saks Robotics. Something that could hurt a lot of people and I have nothing that can stop him."

 _Yet! After Donnie's through you'll have something._ She encouraged her meekly.

"The need for action." Casey agreed, his cocky expression returning. "My main motivation when the mask goes on. But you can only stop so many bad apples with a hockey stick and a golf club."

"And a cricket bat." April couldn't help mentioning. "Where'd you even get one of those?"

"A game of poker to remember." was the reply.

They fell silent, finishing off their coneys.

"Catching this guy mean a lot to you?" Casey suddenly asked, wiping the grease on the back of his hand. And wiping said hand on his shirt. And he was back to the Neanderthal thing.

"Yes." April admitted.

"Ok then… Let's do it."

"Do what?" April's brow crinkled, watching him stand up.

"Let's go check out this Saks Robotics." Casey jerked his head toward his motorcycle.

"You're joking." April leaned back in bewilderment. "Now?"

"Now's when the workers are there."

"And that's when they choose to practice illegal activity?"

"Why not?" Casey tossed their wrappers in the trash can. "I mean, they have the perfect cover story; a regular day job."

April opened her mouth to protest; then realized that that made sense. And, if that was where Saks was hiding out, he wasn't likely to leave. "They'll turn us away the minute they see my press badge."

"So, we don't go as the press." Casey said, a sly grin over his lips. "I've got an extra pair of coveralls back at my garage."

April eyed him warily. "Why… I mean, what's in it for you? To help me, that is."

"The chance to do something?" Casey shrugged, the deep look back in his eyes. Until the grin crept back across his cheeks. "And the chance to see you in come baggy coveralls."

April shoved him back with an eye roll. "Whatever. But we still can't just drive up there. I have someone who can help us."


	12. Chapter 12

"April," Donatello hunkered down over his shell cell, only to jerk back from the pain he caused his shoulder. "I don't think you realize the precarious position you're placing me in."

"I'm asking you to cause a slight electrical problem at the Saks Robotics building." April said. "It's not like you need to come up, just press a couple of keys on your computer."

"They've already increased their firewalls because of last night." Donnie explained, a nervous glance to the side. "And there are military personal meeting there today. They'll be on high alert."

"And that's a problem for you?"

"No." Donnie rushed to defend his abilities. "But, couldn't this work for a few days? What if that's what they're expecting?"

"Donnie…" April sighed heavily.

"I'm sorry April, but the risk is too great… for us or you." Donnie told her.

"I know. But… I _need_ to do this for my dad. I can't sit on the sidelines like last time."

Donnie could tell there was no way to talk her down over the phone. Where was Emma when you needed her? "Suppose I do it… what does that do for you?"

She hesitated; telling him he wouldn't like the answer.

"So," a voice lulled in the background. "You and this Donnie guy an item?"

Donnie's cheeks flared. "Who's that?"

"My way into the building." April put lightly. "He runs odd jobs out of his van. Plumbing, _electrical_ , that kinda thing."

"I feel so labeled." the voice groaned.

"Well I thought the term 'ape man' might offend you." April shot back.

Donnie dragged a hand over his eyes. "April; _please_ tell me that's not the vigilante from last night."

"I might have to." April mumbled. "Donnie, he can help. And I need your help too. Please."

He could almost see her green eyes pleading into him. And they did need something more to work with in bringing Saks and Shredder down. Ugh, forget Emma, where was a good wall to bang your head against when you needed it? Donnie gave another quick glance around the lair. "I can't _not_ tell the others about this."

"Agreed." April spoke eagerly. "But what's now or half an hour from now?"

}{}{}{}{}{

"I'm buying your geek connection a drink if we get through this." Casey whispered to April, clearly enjoying their undercover assignment. "Way to rock those coveralls by the way."

"Keep your head in the game, Jones." April rolled her eyes. His babbling was going to spoil it all. She spun her baseball cap around and gave a loud snap of her gum. All part of the 'nothing-better-to-do' mechanic look, as she and Casey followed a strictly-dressed business woman named Ms. Rowland. They had just cleared the marble and glass front lobby of Saks Robotics and were being led to the electrical room.

"Normally we would have our own team assess the problem." Ms. Rowland walked them down yet another hall. April sensed her annoyance and shrugged. "Well, you know how it goes, lady. The city finds a big enough glitch in the power grid, they call us. Standard inspection, in and out, no sweat."

Ms. Rowland nodded without looking back. "As I'm well aware Miss Sydney."

They continued walking and April tried not to jump at Casey's voice in her ear. "Yo, it really say that somewhere?"

"Would I make something like that up?" April elbowed him back. He choked back a snicker. "I'm beginning to wonder."

 _Wonder all you want, just stick with the plan._ April prayed. Her free-wheeling accomplice was proving to be the more chatty of sidekicks. Where Vern would chat to fill the silence or tension, Casey Jones just seemed to be in the business of blowing hot air.

"In here." Ms. Rowland directed them into a room that only opened with the swipe of a key card and a retina scan. "Our wires and coding are numbered by section of the building, and they are all rerouted…"

April let Casey take over for this part, concentrating on withdrawing the lipstick tube from her 'tool bag'. They had both been scanned and patted down before entering the complex, but what they were looking for, they wouldn't find. Not in one piece anyway. She had a minuscule router on her person, courtesy of Don. It was the size of a quarter and by installing it anywhere on the premises, Donnie would have cloaked access to Saks' computer files.

"You're problem seems to be with the wires themselves." Casey was inspecting the third consecutive panel that opened up to a web of colored wires. "They always this hot? They're wearin' a little thin."

"We facilitate cooling tunnels throughout this room." was Ms. Rowland's vague response.

"Well, I can check those after the wiring… ah, here we go!" Casey fiddled. "Yo, Sydney, get into that first box. Check the black wire, fourth from the left."

April followed his instruction to a tee, wishing he'd ordered her three seconds later. The router was in three separate pieces and, under his loud distraction, she'd only connected two of them. Regardless, she found the wire, the router concealed in her sweaty palm. Trying to ignore Ms. Rowland's presence, she clipped it in with one hand, bringing up the other with the remaining piece. April's back straightened at the close click of Mrs. Rowland's heels.

"Pretty high-tech joint you're runnin' out here." Casey spoke up to Ms. Rowland. "You guys like one of 'em Area 51 deals?"

April groaned, but was thankful for the diversion. Ms. Rowland's face turned tightly toward Casey. "We're a highly respected company, Mr. Jones… and our mail boys make more in a month then you do in a year."

Her tone shut Casey down and April ducked her head to hide her amusement. Router assembled, she nodded to Casey, who adjusted several wires on his side, then closed the panel. "Check it."

Ms. Rowland dialed a number on her cell. She asked a couple questions and nodded. "All appears to be working now. Your service is complete."

 _That's her way of saying thank you._ April figured, but she didn't care. They had got in, now it was time to get out! She and Casey followed Ms. Rowland back out into the hall. April glanced nonchalantly to the right, leaving her ears to pick up on a familiar sound from the left. No… it was a familiar voice.

 _No!_

April's head snapped up, gaze darting behind them. Ms. Rowland had moved to the side, allowing a small group to pass. Three men in lab coats, two straight-backed military men in full uniform. One of them had an older, sweet-smiling woman on his arm. And on the arm of the other…

"Emma!?" April blurted, about tripping on the hem of her baggy coveralls. Her friend's face blanked a moment, her mouth hanging open. "A-April? What…"

Ms. Rowland's eyes darted back at them harshly. "April? Your name tag reads Sydney."

"It's her last name." Casey jumped in. "April Sydney."

Ms. Rowland's cheeks sucked in, disbelief filtering her eyes.

"My roommate." Emma stepped in, leaving her military escort. "She's my roommate, whom I'm surprised to see her today. April Sydney, here in the flesh. Wow…"

That's when the picture frame on Emma's nightstand registered in April's brain. The woman and military man were her parents! They'd know that Emma was lying through her teeth. She had told April- sheepishly- how her dad had run a background check on her. April waited for her heart to explode out of her chest from shock and confusion.

"Four months with this little devil under your roof?" the second naval officer laughed, cutting the tension. "And nothing's caught fire yet?! My hat off to you, Miss Sydney."

 _No idea who he is._ April noted.

"You just won't let that BBQ of '08 go, will you?" Emma wagged her finger back at the man. Then in one fluid motion, she pecked a kiss on her father's cheek and pushed April and Casey down the hall. "K, so you guys were almost done right? Dad, you had that meeting you didn't want me budging in on, so I'll just catch a ride home with April. Boy it's amazing the people you run into, isn't it Ms. Rowland…"

How did the girl talk so fast? Emma explained their way back through the lobby and out the doors, not stopping until they were in the back of Casey's van. The doors were barely shut when Emma dropped her smile for a look of horror. " _What_ are you doing here, April?"

"ME!?" April stared back at her in disbelief. "How about you? You said you were spending the day with your family."

"Well I wasn't in there with Bevis and Butthead." Emma spat. Casey worked himself between them to get to the driver's seat, giving April an extra second to grasp what was happening. "Your… does your dad _work_ there!?"

"Work is a very loose term…"

"EMMA!" April demanded. "It's a yes or no question." 

This outburst caused Emma to shrink back a little. April would've jumped on her right then and there if the van hadn't lunged forward. April unzipped the top of her coveralls, feeling claustrophobic all of a sudden.

"I'm more then a little confused here." Casey announced himself from the front seat, lunging the van into drive. Emma held up her hands. "In my defense April, I didn't even know that my dad was coming to Saks Robotics until last week…"

LAST WEEK!? None of those words were helping her case. "Last week! So you knew about Saks before I did!?"

"No!" Emma's head shot up. "Not the guy, but the company. Just the company, nothing about him being out! I would've told you that, April. Believe me, I would have! And whether my dad knows about it or not, I don't know. I was working on it, when… what were you guys doing there anyway?"

"That's privileged information." April seethed at her.

"Give me a break, will ya." Emma pleaded, eyes going wide with sadness. "I put the pieces together after Casey told us about Saks shooting him. I opted to come visit this place with my parents. Ya know, be friendly and put my ear to a few walls. I was going to report back to you later."

"Which part?" April challenged. "Information on Saks or letting me know that your dad's on a murderer's payroll."

"Don't blow this out of proportion." Emma pointed at her. "That's my job! I was all excited about this undercover assignment; I had a cover story, an exit strategy, _and_ I wore a skirt!"

She slapped the gray and red plaid covering her thighs. April remembered complimenting her on it, since she had never seen Emma in a skirt anyway. But was it meant to go with the leather jacket that she wore?

"You wore a skirt?" Casey joined in, curiosity winning over. "So what?"

Emma looked up at him in exasperation. "Something bad always happens when I wear a skirt. I figured it would be a good way to nudge things along, whatever they are." She looked back at April. "I just didn't think that it would backfire on me."

"So you can go undercover, but I can't." April huffed at her. Emma snorted, motioning to her coveralls. "Who's going to believe that you're a mechanic?"

"Now she's got you there." Casey nodded. April threw a glare at him, then held a hand up at Emma opened her mouth. "I… I can't talk to you right now."

She felt cold, yet heated in betrayal as she climbed into the passenger seat of the van.

 **Who else thinks the gloves are coming off?**


	13. Chapter 13

How had this day gone to having more drama then One Tree Hill? April and the redhead, Emma, had gotten a text simultaneously, shared a befuddled look, then hadn't looked surprised when there were two men awaiting outside their apartment. They came with the black SUV, which Casey parked the van beside.

"Hey Ted," Emma nodded as she unlocked the door. "Phil. Did Dad mention when he'd be in?"

"1530, ma'am." the shorter one she'd called Ted nodded. "What'd you do this time?"

Emma only tapped the side of her nose and winked at them, leading April and Casey into the apartment.

 _Well, this is one way to get up to see a girl's place._ Casey admired the light and airy kitchen, the entry way, but knew it wasn't the time to ask fro a grand tour. There was more ice between the two girls then there were glaciers in Antarctica.

"You left me a note." Emma observed, only to have April snatch the paper out of her hand. "Yeah, explaining everything."

Guilt weighted on Emma's face, but she said nothing. No excuses for this apparent breach of trust. Casey could admire her for that. He'd known enough people who tried to pawn the consequences of their choices onto others. And despite popular belief, chicks were better at it then boys.

"Nice place." Casey spoke up. April nodded, but sat rigidly on the gray couch, texting rapidly. Was it to that geek dude? Was everyone in acquaintance with April out to get this Saks guy? Not that Casey objected to putting a scumbag behind bars…

"Young lady!" a commanding voice exploded into the apartment, along with the door almost coming off of its hinges. The couple from Saks Robotics walked in, the naval officer's face a storm of angry mixed with furious. Emma stood erect, while April stayed seated. Casey held his spot at the entrance to the hallway, where he could gauge everybody.

"Should I even list the amount of explaining you have to do!?" Emma's father bellowed, his hat slapping to the coffee table. "And you, Miss April _O'Neil_ …"

"Really, Imogene," the mother shook her head. "All these weeks we've been dying to meet your roommate- wonderful to catch your eye, dear- and we run into her at work! Goodness, what a reception!"

 _Imogene?_ Casey wondered, looking Emma over.

"You already knew who she was." Emma pointed out. "You wouldn't let me move in otherwise."

Her father pshawed, eyes on April. "Miss O'Neil, I'm Major General Jamison Tomes, here on behalf of the Secretary of the Defense…"

"Tomes…" April whipped her head at Emma. "Your last name's Dewitter."

"Actually, it's my maiden name." Mrs. Tomes waved weakly.

April's fists clenched with a glance at Emma. "You've been lying about your last name!?"

"We'll discuss that later." Major Tomes stepped into the middle of all the sound bites. "Right now, Miss O'Neil, mind telling me _why_ you were at Saks Robotics today?"

Casey couldn't help a snicker from escaping. "That's actually an interesting story."

Major Tomes pivoted and grounded him with eyes of steel. "Was I talking to you, son?"

"Major Tomes." April stood, leveling herself with the rest of them. "You know that I work for Channel 6 News. I don't know what business you have here in New York, but I have reasonable evidence to believe that Saks Robotics has orchestrated a conspiracy involving Eric Saks."

"My," the major's eyebrows lifted. "So many big words for such a little girl."

"Dad!" Emma rolled her eyes. Mrs. Tomes likewise squeezed his arm. "James, don't be rude."

"Well what should I be?" the major shrugged his wife off. "Honestly, I don't know where to start with this one."

"Then take a moment to think it over." Mrs. Tomes' hands went to her hips; the same way her daughter did. "April…" she came around the table with a cautious smile. "It _really_ is good to finally meet you. Emma's told us so many things…"

"Not nearly enough." Major Tomes interjected with narrow eyes. "Miss O'Neil, what were you and your- _associate_ \- doing there?"

Casey scowled at the major. Why did people always refer to him with a raised eyebrow and speculative tone? What was the significance of said former gesture?

"We were looking to get some answers about the people that you're working with." April jumped right in, eyes locked and loaded on Major Tomes. "I'm sure you're aware of Saks' history over the last year…"

"Very much so." Major Tomes cut her off. "In fact, it's the entire reason that we're here. The war department likes to keep the homegrown terrorists in check."

"And whatever research you collect along the way is helpful, I'm sure." Emma guessed, getting a look from her mother. "Emma, stay out of it!"

"It's a little hard not to." Emma sing-songed her suspicions.

"These people are proving a valuable asset in America's defense system." Major Tomes said. His tone caught Casey's attention and he narrowed his eyes at him. "Oh? At what cost, pops? Our government's been known to make deals with the devil."

Major Tomes puffed out his chest, jaw locked. Casey mirrored the motion, knowing he had thirty pounds of muscle on the guy. He could take him…

"So the navy has a vested interest with Saks Robotics and their products?" April pressed farther. Major Tomes didn't break from his stare off with Casey, refusing to acknowledge her.

"Unfortunately, even the devil has the right to client confidentiality." Emma groaned. "Might as well drop it, April. He's gone Stone Hedge on us. That's why, if I'd just been able to get through that meeting…"

"Imogene!" Mrs. Tomes' voice raised for the first time. "Were you snooping around as well Was that what today was all about?"

"Sorry." Emma shrugged at her parents. "Client confidentiality."

Major Tomes blew out his breath. "You always have to be in the middle of things."

"That's where all the excitement's at, isn't it?" Emma offered him a coy smile.

"Is that what you call these past two years?" Major Tomes roared, something darker clouding his eyes. "Exciting? Is that what they've been for you?"

 _Ok, I missed something here._ Casey looked between the father and daughter.

"Look, April and Casey _were_ on a lunch date." Emma stressed to the major. "I found out about Saks Robotics, thought it'd be a good angle for her office, and sent her a text. She has a vested interest in his case, you know. I didn't anticipate…"

"I can fight my own battles, Emma." April bit out. Her tone threatened to snap the tension like a rubber band.

"It doesn't matter how you got there." Major Tomes decided, eyes closed for composure. "I've already explained the damage away. I will only lay this out once, Miss O'Neil. You and your grease monkey…"

"Casey Jones, pops." Casey corrected him.

"You will be placed under arrest if you are found anywhere on the premises again." Major Tomes instructed, not leaving it up for debate. "It is the government's affairs."

"Emma…" Mrs. Tomes gestured for her to follow as Major Tomes began leading her out of the apartment. Emma stole a look at April, whose eyes were daring her to leave. But Emma shook her head. "I'm good."

Another pivot from the major. "I'm not playing hopscotch with you today, Emma."

"Not in those duds you aren't." Casey commented. This got him glares from all four, making him back up into the hall. Major Tomes huffed out a large breath, pointing a finger at his daughter. "Tread carefully. I shouldn't have to tell you over… and over."

}{}{}{}{}{}{

April quivered with anger and tried to compartmentalize it as Major and Mrs. Tomes left her apartment. Tomes… not Dewitter… strange how you thought you could know a person. _I thought I had learned my lesson with Saks._

Emma opened her mouth, but April held up a hand, warning her to back off. She could tell that her friend wanted to smooth things over; too bad she didn't feel the same way. April had texted the guys, heavily alluding to the fact that they needed to talk. But they needed to ditch Casey in order to do that.

"Take all the space you need April." Emma tried again. "But you're going to have to talk to me sooner or later. We're meeting our friends for dinner, remember?"

At least she had no illusions about what needed to be done.

"Besides, our apartment's only so big," Emma kept talking- surprise, surprise. "And I've already apologized… April…"

"How long?" April demanded, turning back to face her. "How long has your dad worked with Saks?"

"He works with a lot of… things." Emma shrugged. "He made major general three years ago and with that comes a lot of extra clearance. Honestly, I don't know what half of it's about. All I was going for was an inside scoop on what's happening at Saks Robotics." She crossed her arms. "And, if you had just kept your cool in there, I might've been able to dig up something."

"Kept…" April spun on her, eyes livid. "Kept _MY_ cool!?"

"Ladies…" Casey spoke up, reminding April he was even there.

"Ya know, that thing you lost the minute you found out about Saks." Emma said. "C'mon April, you haven't exactly been thinking straight this past week. Your broadcasts have been distracted, you're always on the phone with some contact or another…"

April had never wanted to choke someone so bad in her life. "Excuse me for wanting to do right by my father."

"Your dad wouldn't find it right, you putting your life on hold for him. What has _The Lion King_ taught us, huh? Never live in the past."

"Says the girl who rerouted her education to try and fix her brother." April hissed at her. Emma's face fell, her witty tone gone.

"Ok," Casey timed-out, stepping in between them. "I think we all just need to take a breath. My blood pressure goes up anymore and it'll open my wound. Aren't you both still fighting the same enemy?"

April looked past him at Emma. "Are we?"

"Are you seriously asking me that question!" Emma fumed, the old fire back. "Sure, the guy's my dad, but we're talking about a mad scientist and a resurrected crime lord here. Kinda no-brainer."

April quieted at that, willing her thoughts to organize themselves. "Nothing's ever that simple."

"Yer tellin' me." Casey laughed, easing himself toward the same windows April had first spotted him out of. "I mean, what're the odds you two become friends, only to find out yer dads' work crossed paths. Small world, right?"

"The smallest." Emma spat, not holding back the hurt in her voice. "I think I'll go on a walk… clear my head…"

"Not a good idea." Casey stiffened from his place by the window.

"Why?" April asked, personally wanting her roommate far away.

"Your dad took his laggies with him, right?" Casey directed at Emma. She nodded and both of them moved in, weary now. Casey cocked his chin out the window. "Black van, two'o'clock."

"That's ten'o'clock." April told him.

"Whatever." Casey batted her words away. "The black van; ain't it the same one that tried to jack you guys the other night?"

April got a good look at the van… and it made her nervous. "Let's go."

"Where-" Casey eyed her.

"Those friends we mentioned." April told him; and that was all she was telling.

Emma already had her purse shouldered, handing April hers. "Don't have to tell me twice."

April turned from the window, swallowing hard as she took her purse. The Foot were tightening the noose. And, from the looks of it, her best friend's father was helping pull the strings.


	14. Chapter 14

"Your dad works for the Shredder!?" Raph reacted hotly.

"You've been living under your mother's maiden name?" Donnie observed, a hand to his chin. "How could I have missed that?"

"Did you lie about liking my jelly bean and chili pizza?" Mikey cried, horrified. Leo shoved him, wishing he'd be serious for once. He thought about his wrist and Donnie's shoulder as he stood up to meet Emma's gaze square on. "We need answers, Emma."

"I may not have all of them." she warned, holding herself straight. She hadn't tried to run, only walked in silently behind April when they had arrived in the lair ten minutes ago. She hadn't interrupted while April spewed the few frantic details of the day either. If Leo had thought he had a lot to think about before, well he had plenty to mull over now.

 _First things first though._ Leo nodded at Emma. "Do you know Oruku Saki?"

Emma looked between him, his brothers, and April, swallowed, then nodded back. "I've known him for seven years. He's a partner with the weapons industry for the Navy port in Japan and attended all of the functions." She focused her eyes into Leo's. "I knew nothing about his rehabilitation or about Saks until Casey Jones told us."

"And Saks Robotics?" Leo went on. "What do you know about that?"

"Only that the Navy has been holding its ties with it." Emma shifted her weight from foot to foot. "But I only learned this last week, when my mom first mentioned that they were visiting. If there was anything else to learn, I was planning on finding out today."

"But why?" Don said, mystified. "Why would the U.S. Navy be trading secrets with Saks Robotics? Especially when most other companies have at this point to save face?"

"They must know there's more then robots being produced." Raph said.

"Donnie, was the place operational fifteen years ago?" Leo glanced at his brother.

"Saks Robotics was the beginning of everything." Donnie assured him.

"Can we come down from Geek Cloud 9 real quick." Raph growled, pointing back at Emma. "Focus on our other problem."

Mikey was suddenly at attention and he hurried to stand beside Emma. "What problem, bro?"

"Did your battery die?" Raph shook his head. "She knew who Shredder was this whole time and kept it from us."

"I didn't find it relevant." Emma stuck a hand out, like it'd keep Raph back. "I thought he was dead, along with everyone else."

"So you say." Raph came to tower over her, but Leo grabbed him back. "Raph…"

"Hey, you can be as blind as you wanna be, Fearless." Raph knocked his hand off. "But I've had it with this girl! First the Purple Dragons, and now the Foot."

"Unfortunate acquaintances, I promise." Emma gritted her teeth, looking beyond them to where Master Splinter sat, reviewing all this new information.

"Why didn't you just tell us?" April cut in, eye fierce. Then she shocked everybody by pushing Emma back. "I shared _everything_ with you, Emma. About my dad, about Saks, everything! And not once did you mention about being on the inside…"

"It's not like I sit in on my dad's meetings, April." Emma widened her stance, knowing she stood alone. "And I didn't say anything for exactly this reason. You wanna know why I came to New York under my mom's maiden name?"

"Because your blind optimism and naivety had you believing you were the one to save your brother's soul?" April insulted her.

Leo shut his eyes, and listened to Donnie suck in a breath. This was a side of April they'd never seen… and he was torn between his friendship toward her and a fairness toward Emma. He reopened his eyes and watched Emma stare at the ground, then back up.

"Yeah," was all she replied with a hard swallow. "But also so I could have a life outside the influence of my dad. So that people might stop labeling me based on all of the shady business he's involved in."

"You're breaking our hearts." Raph spat.

"I'll break something else-" Emma cut herself off, pressing her hands together. "I can see where this is going and I'll save you the trouble… Hamato Splinter, thank you for opening your home." She shouldered past Raph, making for the door. "If you guys need anything, call me."

"Emma…" Mikey started, but she held up a hand so that he stayed. "I'm sure you guys have a lot to get ready for an attack on Saks and Shredder. You shouldn't have to worry about whether I'll stab you in the back or not."

Leo held Mikey back from following her and Donnie fidgeted in the uncomfortable silence. Emma gave April a long look before she finally turned and exited the lair. April hung her head as the secret door closed. Leo joined her, only not in anger; in shame. Shame because he felt relived with her gone.

}{}{}{}{}{

Donnie cautiously approached April as she sulked in his desk chair. She had all but glued herself to him as he was starting work on the data they were collecting on the router at Saks Robotics. Unfortunately, the router didn't do anything to disable the firewalls that the company had set up. It simply gave them a way in for Donnie to start cracking them; a slow task with only one arm.

"Anything you need, just tell me." April mentioned to him as he sat down. Don found that statement ironic since he had been the one to get them both bottles of water. He smiled at her just the same. "How much time have you spent around firewalls?"

"Before or after I met you?" April joked dryly. "At least I know where all of the right keys are."

"You know a lot more then that." Donnie told her, rebooting his screen. "You're better then smart, April; you're resourceful."

April scoffed, half-spinning in her chair. "Apparently I'm not a good judge of character."

Donnie followed her look, to where Leo and Raph had gone to arguing over what to do next. Well, at least this time there was a punching bag between them. Hopefully, Splinter wouldn't have to break out the _bokken_ again.

"That's twice now." April sighed in frustration. "Twice now that I've lead the enemy right to you."

"I don't think Emma's the enemy." Donnie pointed at his shoulder, still bandaged.

"What about a liability?" April quirked an eyebrow at him. "I swear, if she tells anybody I'm gonna-"

"Maybe she won't." Donnie insisted.

"Donnie, you almost died because of me." April said, speaking on the subject of taboo. "I thought I could trust Saks-"

"You never intended for any of that to happen." Donnie gazed at her, trying to figure how to lift her spirits. "And even if Emma were to… you're not in charge of other people's actions, April. Nobody here's gonna blame you."

April smirked. "Not even Raph?"

"Ok, he might rag on you a little." Donnie admitted, perking up at her grin. Her face and voice grew soft. "You guys and Master Splinter are really important to me, you know. My mom and I don't really click, I'm an only child… no one's seen my Uncle Augie in years. So, it's the five of you. I don't want to lose that."

 _We don't want to lose you either._ Donnie's cheeks went red hot and he was glad it wouldn't show through his green skin. "You won't. We're pretty hard shells to break." He grinned at her. "Get it? Shells?"

April smirked at the bad joke.

"Hey, Don!" Leo suddenly called in from the dojo. Donnie looked back. "Yeah?"

"Where's Mikey?"

The question was a familiar one that had hindered more then half of the daily routines throughout the turtles' young lives. And the answers- the ones that didn't involve video games- were never the same. But now, as Donnie did a quick visual sweep of the lair, he knew there was only one explanation. "My super genius IQ tells me… he went after Emma."

"Idiot!" Raph punched his bag, sending it swinging and snapping the hook. Again. Raph stepped over it, headed for the exit. "I'm gonna drag him back by that raggedy bandana of his…"

"Raphael." Master Splinter halted him, creating that uncomfortable silence between student and teacher. "Michelangelo will return. If Miss Dewitter is the person I think she is, she will send him back."

"Sensei, that's just the point!" Raph spun around, eyes flaring. "She's not who we thought she was."

Splinter's eyebrow raised patiently. "She is not the one who aided you in stopping a city-wide bombing? She is not the one who has attended our medical needs for the last four months?"

 _Well, it's not like she's Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman._ Donnie thought. But Emma had been the one to supply painkillers when Raph fell through some rusted grating in February. She'd been stern about it, too, doctoring over him like a mother hen. One of the things Donnie liked about her. She wasn't afraid of Raph. Everyone respected his anger and steered clear of it, but not Emma. She challenged it! And it was hilarious!

"We will wait for Michelangelo to return." Splinter nodded, closing the discussion. "Now, Donatello, don't you have work to do?"


	15. Chapter 15

"Still haven't figured it out yet, huh?" Mikey finally spoke up, after watching Emma stop and kick a sewer wall a few times. She jumped back, fists at the ready, but then relaxed when he stepped out of the shadows. "I don't know _how_ you guys do it! All of these pipes look the same."

"The city coded them according to six-block radiuses." Mikey pointed above to where white numbers had been painted on decades ago. "It was either learn them…" he hunched over. "Or be doomed to wonder the catacombs fooorrreevveerr."

He waved his arms eerily, but Emma didn't smile. Aw, it was always so easy to get her to smile. Mikey let his arms fall to his sides. "So… where're you headed?"

"I haven't gotten that far yet." Emma exasperated.

Mikey jabbed a thumb behind him. "Actually, you passed your apartment about five blocks back."

Hay; he got a grin that time! Emma shook her head at him. "You are… you're something, Michelangelo. I guess you're here because you trust me?"

"The person who saved my shell and patched up my two bros last week?" Mikey tapped his chin, then shrugged. "Sure I do."

"You're _way_ too trusting." Emma hung her head to eye her scuffed shoe.

Mikey grabbed the pipe above him, swinging gaily back and forth. "And you're being way too hard on yourself."

"I'm just… frustrated." Emma sighed, pressing a palm into her eyes. "This isn't the first time that Dad's job has bit me in the butt. It's like he casts this huge shadow that I can never get out of. Everywhere, it's never 'there's Emma', but 'here's Major Tomes' daughter' It gets annoying and it wasn't like that here… and I didn't want it to end."

"I'm not gonna let it." Mikey sleeked a hand over his head. "My handsomeness will get my bros to see reason.

She shrugged in the most adorable, helpless way. Mikey squinted at her. "What's he do exactly, your dad?"

Emma thought a second. "You know how Don keeps Raph from beating you up?"

"He doesn't do a very good job." Mikey lingered on the pipe. Emma laughed. "Well, Dad's a mediator like that. He keeps channels of communication open, thus keeping things cool and calm between countries and their militaries."

 _I'll pretend that I understood that._ Mikey decided, even while it made him think. "Then, what's he doing at Saks Robotics?" He dropped from the pipe and climbed the ladder next to her. "I mean, it's in America."

"It did business with Japan." Emma reminded him, looking up. "But that's just because of Saki. Still…" Emma's voice softened. Then her eyes grew wide. "Unless… instead of countries, my dad's negotiating between planets."

"Say what?" Mikey about lost his grip on the ladder.

Emma paced a moment, then snapped her fingers. "April's videos from her dad's lab. Remember that one of them showed that green goop. She said it was from outer space."

Mikey didn't know for sure. Donnie and the others had watched those videos, but if they weren't of the funny kitty variety he tended to tune it out. It gave Donnie and April plenty to yak about though.

"Holy cannoli!" Emma grabbed Mikey's arm, her eyes big as plates and swirling with excitement. "That would make my dad Tommy Lee Jones from _Men in Black!_ "

"Ohhh!" Mikey caught on, sliding off of the ladder. "I get to be Will Smith!"

"Wouldn't you be better suited for Tim Blaney?" Emma cocked her head at him. "Oow, or Johnny Knoxville."

Mikey gave a fake laugh. "Yeah, right."

Emma shook her head to get back on track. "Focus… ok, if that ooze did come from outer space…" she bumped her fist into her palm. "Then, there had to be aliens who made the stuff, right?"

Mikey gasped, catching on. "What if Saks Robotics…"

Emma faced him. "Has been harboring…"

"Extra-terrestrials!" they both finished. Mikey's heart pounded wildly at what they were implying. "Dudette, my head is about to explode!"

BABOOM!

Light and smoke flashed! Emma screamed and they both went flying back from a white-hot force. The lack of rattling in Mikey's brain told him it was a flash grenade. Mikey pushed out of the ankle-deep drainage, whipping around toward the explosion. At first there was nothing by smoke, but then it cleared to show three Foot soldiers. Armed to the teeth. Oh shell…

"Emma?" Mikey swung out his nunchaku.

"Up and at 'em." Emma was up, cheek bleeding, but a pipe the length of a fire poker, in her hands. Mikey glanced at it. "You're going at them with that?

"You wanna lend me a weapon?" Emma gestured to his nunchaku.

Mikey gasped. "Split up Chuck 1 and Chuck 2 the Sequel! Woman, are you nuts!?"

Emma rolled her eyes, eyeing the Foot. "Boys and their toys. Am I ri-…"

She didn't finish as she was thrown back with a kick to the chest. Mikey blocked his own attack, swinging to blow the third guy back with Chuck 2. He brought on the awesome sound effects, hitting hard. Only problem was, they were proving to hit hard too. Since when?

"Low bridge!" Emma warned form behind. Mikey dropped to a knee, felt her weight on his back, and came up to see her execute a sharp dragon kick on the solider that would've bashed his head in.

 _I love this girl!_ Mikey thought excitedly. "Looking good, Gorgeous!"

"Check this combo, Handsome!" Emma cried, hyped. She got in two knuckle punches before the solider caught her elbow and slammed a palm into her ribs. Emma bent over, gasping.

"Not this time, girlie." the solider hissed at her, pleased with his hit. His gloat cost him a knee to the crotch.

Good hit, but Mikey could see that Emma was weakening. Her ribs had never fully recovered from the incident back in October. Rescue time! Mikey leapt over his opponent, knocking the sucker away from Emma. "You ok?"

"A little low… on fuel." Emma caught her breath.

"I told you," Mikey whipped around, smacking a solider with a punch to the throat. "Pizza for breakfast. Keeps you going all day."

He suddenly realized that they had gotten themselves surrounded. And he had to smile. "Hey, Tokyo Tornado?"

"You're on." Emma brightened. Mikey grabbed her hand and spun her up over his shoulders. They locked arms and Emma swung her legs in whatever direction Mikey tossed her. Like a human nunchaku, he twirled her. All their practice had paid off, finishing with all three Foot on the ground and Mikey holding Emma bridal style.

"It worked!" Emma spoke in disbelief. They high-fived and Mikey lowered her. "Not so tough now, are they."

He kicked the closest body, knocking him over into the water. Instantly, the body jerked. Then sparks and smoke rocketed out. Mikey and Emma jumped back. They looked at each other, then hunkered down for a better look. Mikey pinpointed the origin of the smoke and pulled back the dude's shirt collar. His mouth fell open as he saw, rather then skin, a metal neck. "What the…

The body's arm sprung then and clutched Mikey around the throat. Mikey gasped as the air was cut off. He clawed at the arm, but it wouldn't budge.

"Let him go!" Emma yelled, going for her pipe. She batted at the head of the metal man, but it only clamped tight around Mikey's airway. Lungs burning, lungs burning! Mikey looked up at Emma desperately, trying to wedge his nunchaku up under the arm to break it away. Emma's face hardened, swinging her pipe down again. Again, no effect. Her third swing changed course and landed in the stomach.

There was an inhuman shriek upon impact and the hand let go. Mikey sucked in a breath as the guy's stomach bulged. Without warning, a long, purplish tentacle shot out from under the shirt and wrapped itself around Emma's arm. She screamed and commenced more rapid hitting. "Get it off, get if off!"

Mikey fought off the dizziness and yanked the tentacle off of her. Yuck, it was sticky! "Dude, this is soooo gross!"

"Do not be joking about Kraang's appearance." a voice made them hop back from the body. Mikey glared at the other two soldiers. Where one stood normally, gun leveled at them, the third revealed identical tentacles from his own stomach! And his eyes glowed red! Mikey gulped. _Ok, I probably just fell asleep after playing video games again. Raph should be punching me awake any minute now._

"Kraang's intelligence remains far superior to that of the humans." Red Eyes said in a deep, anatomic voice. "It won't be long before we hold dominion over this putrid planet."

"Holy crap!" Emma said with awe. Mikey looked from the freak robot to her. "You were right, we were right! I've been right since I was five! It was just a matter of time before this happened…"

"Mikey!" Emma sent her pipe flying. It deflected a lazar shot from the soldier, bursting the pipe into hot flame. Mikey turned, his ninja wisdom kicking in. These soldiers were better equipped then they were; retreat was the only option. Smoke bomb? Heck, yeah!

"You ain't conquering this planet without a fight, brah." Mikey threw in the last word, before he threw the pint-sized pellet to the ground. Thick smoke erupted between the two parties. Mikey grabbed Emma and ran.


	16. Chapter 16

So much unrest and not enough sleep, Splinter was observing grimly. He had ordered Donatello and Raphael to their beds and April had conked out on the couch… all were exhausted and rightly so. But Leonardo had not been so easily convinced. He stood before one of their practice dummies now, running through his exercises, while trying to compensate for his sore wrist. Splinter sat in the shadow, watching. "Hmm… much has happened, my son."

"Hai, sensei." Leonardo said, thwarting an imaginary attack.

"You mustn't take your injury as a failure." Splinter warned him. "Nor that of your brother's."

"Hai, sensei."

Splinter cocked an eyebrow at the mundane response. "And, at any minute, I will be growing a second tail."

Leonardo faltered in mid-kick, catching his balance. "Sensei?"

Splinter couldn't resist a chuckle. "Just seeing if you were paying attention."

"Always, Dad." Leonardo bowed. "I'm the leader, and a leader is always vigilant."

"A leader also puts the needs of others above his own." Splinter commended. "Yet, does not ignore his own completely."

Leonardo leaned on the dummy, eyeing his wrist like an enemy. "There is indeed too much happening, sensei…"

"Nothing is happening now." Splinter mused in a soothing tone.

"WE'VE BEEN INVADED!"

Splinter about hit the ceiling, April toppled off of the couch, and everybody else awoke at Michelangelo's wild yell. He barged into the room, Emma in his arms… that is, until he tripped and dropped her. Splinter hurried to help her up. "Michelangelo…"

"It's happening, sensei!" Michelangelo spun from Raphael to Leonardo.

"You're not going to believe this!" Emma agreed, dusting herself off and bowing to Splinter. "They were…"

"There were, like, six of them!" Mikey waved his arms, spinning in a full circle to get everybody looking at him. "Check it, they came out of like, nowhere…"

"Did they follow you!" Leonardo straightened, looking toward the secret door.

"Heck no, man." Emma panted, spinning in her own little circles. "Mikey smoke-bombed 'em!"

"Then what?" April's eyes narrowed at her. "You send out a homing beacon for them to follow through the smoke?"

"April, c'mon." Michelangelo grabbed her hand over the couch. "Don't be like that. She protected me from a laser that was about to fry me! Why would she…

"We've got bigger problems, Mikey." Emma squished her stomach with both of her hands. "Remember- the- the-… good grief, what even was that!?"

"I have several theories on that…."

Splinter pinched the bridge of his nose. So much talking, yet nothing was getting said. And even so, Michelangelo and Emma were talking so fast, he couldn't understand it one way or the other.

"…and he grabbed us with his stomach!" Emma got in Leonardo's face with her big, adorable eyes.

"It was choking me!" Michelangelo cried, pointing to his throat.

"With pink, slimy tentacles!" Emma finished. Raphael's only response was to glare and grunt at her. Splinter narrowed his eyes at his hotheaded son.

"Dudes, it was all brain and no stomach." Michelangelo leaned on the couch, eyeing April in growing excitement. "Aliens, dude! And _we,_ Gorgeous and I, figured out who they are! That liquid that your dad gave us, it had to have come from aliens! So now, they probably want it back, and they'll no doubt suck out the brains of anyone who gets in their way!"

"Mikey," Donatello shook Michelangelo off of April's shoulders. "Did you fall down the drain again."

"Guys, listen to him." Emma worked to slow her breath. "He's not talking crazy. I saw it."

"Well, there's a viable source." Raphael grumbled.

Emma's shoulders and stance broadened; she ripped off her jacket, glaring down Raphael. "If you don't believe me, believe the slime! The alien was covered in it!"

Donatello adjusted his glasses, zooming them in on the damp sleeves that she held out. "Interesting… cellular levels indicate the familiar compository apparatus… sort of akin to our saliva."

"Ew!" Emma dropped the jacket at her feet, which Donatello quickly scooped up.

"Focus here!" Michelangelo called for everyone's attention. "They've already got their spies in place, who knows how long they've been watching this planet!?" He gasped. "What if they got to the president? What if they plan to poison the world's pizza supply?! Master Splinter, I don't think I can handle a world without pepperoni!"

"Michelangelo!" Splinter cracked his tail and tried to organize his thoughts in the two seconds of silence that that bought him. "You are certain that you were not followed."

"No way, sensei."

Splinter nodded. "Very good, my son… then you and your brothers will need rest."

"Sensei…" Raphael protested. "We're just gonna hide here?"

"It's two in the afternoon." Donatello pointed out.

"Then we have until dusk." Splinter folded his hands. "I will take the first watch. Miss Dewitter, I ask that you remain here. We can not afford any risk to our location, you understand?"

"Wouldn't dream of it." the child muttered. "But, eventually, I'm going to have to call my parents. Today calls for some explanation."

"Understood." Splinter agreed.

"Understood!?" Raphael exploded. "Oh sure, why don't we just foxtrot right up to the clutches of the Shredder and slit our own throats!"

"Foxtrot?" Donatello raised a brow.

"Will you all just lay off her already." Michelangelo threw an arm around Emma's shoulders. His fierce determination was all the convincing that Splinter needed to trust the young woman. His son was indeed naive, but he was hardly ever wrong when it came to judging people's hearts.

"Rest." Splinter spoke against Raphael's further protests. "You will all need it for your patrol tonight."

}{}{}{}{}{

"Do you see the brain people yet?" Mikey whispered to Leo… for the eighteenth time. Leo was about ready to hit him, if Raph didn't. "Mikey…"

"Bro, I'm dying of boredom, over here!"

"Shssh!" Leo hissed through their comms. "Mikey, it's only been twenty minutes! They're still closing up."

"I still don't think this is the most brilliant of plans." Emma replaced Mikey's voice. "Out in the open? Feels too forward for ninjas."

"I prefer to think of it as smoke and mirrors." Master Splinter chuckled. He gestured to Leo for the binoculars, as they watched the giant complex that was Saks Robotics. It glowed from the inside, the automatic lights bursting with the fall of twilight. Not knowing what laid beyond that made Leo nervous. "Ten more minutes and we're going in. Are we in synch?"

"Like clockwork." April answered him. Vern's 'ok, I think' followed and a grunt, not unlike Raphael's, came from the Casey Jones guy. They had rallied every last resource that they could, realizing that they would be facing more then just the Shredder.

"Like it's changed since the last time you mentioned going in." Raph grunted from his crouch beside Leo. "Five minutes ago. Honestly, we can do without the play-by-play."

"It's called having a plan." Leo told him with growing aggravation. "Try it sometime."

"If only you'd let me."

They both bit back yelps at the sting of Splinter's tail. "The way of invisibility, my sons. The way of SILENCE!"

"Anata ga toraburu ni narimashita." Mikey gloated.

Emma snickered. "You used the feminine form, Michelangelo."

"Did your plan _have_ to include her." Raph grumbled. "She's only gonna get in our way."

"Says the turtle with the gigantic shell in my face." Mikey shoved at Raph's back. "Lay off Emma, bro. She's sticking her neck out just like the rest of us."

"Only we've got more to lose then she does." Raph stated through grudging eyes. "While she's got Daddy to fall back on. She makes one wrong move and her shell is mine."

"Raph, that's enough." Leo hissed.

Their comms crackled as Emma's heated words came through. "If you weren't so huge and oaf-like, I'd lay you out right here!"

"Any time, Princess!"

Master Splinter sighed. "Leonardo… it is time."

There was plenty of silence at the drop of that axe. Leo took the time to unclench his fists and remind himself to breathe. "If you're sure, sensei."

After a few noises and a major CRANK, a blinding white light flooded the mutant's backs. Leo squinted, watching their shadows fall over the Saks building. The jokes and bickering ceased as the three brothers stood, making their presence obvious. Yeah, it felt wrong- if not unbiblical- but Leo reminded himself it was necessary. Things in their situation had shifted dramatically… If Shredder wanted them, he could come and get them!

"How long's this gonna take?" Mikey muttered to Leo after two minutes. "My dramatic pose is going stale."

Leo rolled his eyes as Raph muttered something incoherent.

"When you give your enemy the first strike, it is often that you will make the first hit." Master Splinter recited, his words lifting his stature beside that of his large sons. Leo stored them up like he always did, filing his father's wisdom for later guidance.

"Incoming on your six." April said breathlessly. "Be careful, guys."

They turned and Raph reached for his sai as a horde of Foot soldiers appeared on the roof. Leo stepped forward, at the head of his family. "We heard your boss was looking for us. We didn't want to keep him waiting."

"Good one, bro." Mikey whispered.

"I've heard better." Raph grunted.

The Foot stared at them darkly. Then they parted like the Red Sea as the 2nd in command, Karai, stepped forward. Leo remembered her, how she had callously poisoned one of her own, causing his death. Did she have more red in her hair then before?

"You honor us with your presence." Karai spoke, her voice intrigued.

"We've been working out." Mikey commented, earning a slap on Raph.

"Our master will be pleased." She went on, running her eyes over them. "Few of his enemies have lived this long…"

"She's stalling." Raph warned. Leo knew it, they all knew it. But that was the point.

The turtles stiffened as the Foot bowed, and the giant, shining form of the Shredder emerged onto the roof. Splinter hissed and that was the cue to retain their weapons. Not surprising, Raph didn't catch on. He twirled his sai. "We got unfinished business, Shredhead,"

"I would agree." Shredder whipped out the multiple swords from his arms. How could one guy's sleeves be so big? "I seem to have miscounted though. My wrath is for five of you freaks; I only count four."

Leo's chest heaved. "That's because there are only four. Our other brother's dead… you killed Donatello!"

 **No! Say it isn't so! (That includes you, comics!)**


	17. Chapter 17

"As you can see from our cameras, it appears that once again New York City has been thrown for a loop…" The guard turned his head at the mini TV at the end of the row of security feeds. It glowed, along with the other six that made up the security desk. His senses perked as he zeroed in on the pristine face of reporter April O'Neil. Threat Level Three… what was she doing? The guard squinted closely, enhancing the screen. Pesky eyes; he needed to have them recalibrated…

"Ugh," The guard cried out as his head hit the desk, causing annoying colors to blitz through his brain. In spite of, he spun, night stick at the ready.

"Well, that's a new one." spoke a tall green creature. The guard didn't question its disturbing appearance, thwacking his night stick into its ribs. Then he spotted the wrapped shoulder and hit there as well. The creature gasped. "Why aren't you unconscious?"

The guard moved for his walkie talkie, but the creature was on him. They staggered between punches and blows. The guard gained a little distance and spun five feet off the ground, knocking the creature in the jaw. It fell and the guard made a second grab for the walkie talkie.

"Cease and desist!" the creature cried and there was an unmistakable charging of an electrical unit. Then there was zapping, then darkness.

}{}{}{}{}{

"Here they come." Casey Jones watched the security gates of Saks Robotics swing open. "Right on schedule."

"You don't need to sound so eager." Vern observed him out of his peripheral, from where he held the camera on O'Neil. Well, on her and the mutant battle that was raging on the upper level of the parking garage. The turtles had put themselves up as bait, drawing Shredder out into the spotlight. And for all of his better judgment, Vern was here catching every nanosecond of it.

"These rich Navy dudes know how to ride in style." Casey whistled at the three vehicles driving out of the complex to block the Channel 6 van from escape. Perfect.

"It's all for show," Emma scoffed. "Dad gets one scratch on them, the insurance comes out of his wallet."

"Keep rolling." April ordered Vern as she stepped out of the view of the lens. Vern zoomed in on the fight that had erupted on the roof. Diversion #1, keeping the Foot in one convenient location. Then there was them, Diversion #2…

 _Am I the only one who's afraid of going to jail, here?_ Vern gulping at the clinking of boot heels; and of guns.

"This is Commanding Officer, Major General Tomes of the U.S. Navy," Emma's dad commanded the crowd through a megaphone. "You are trespassing on federal grounds. Drop what you are doing, lie face down on the ground…"

"And while you're down there," Emma's voice suddenly blasted from a bullhorn of her own. "Make a snow angel! As many as you want. Your government will pay for it."

The kid was crazier then O'Neil. Vern didn't find it relevant that the man stomping toward her was her father. He was only registering the ten or so officers readily pointing their weapons at them.

}{}{}{}{}{

The Shredder had waited, sending his Foot soldiers into the fight before him. Leo wasn't surprised; he was a self-serving leader, putting others' sacrifice before his own. No honor. And no fear.

"Leo!" Mikey hollered. "Angry tiger has crushed the bird cage!"

Leo rolled his eyes, blocking a katana with his own. Translation; April and the rest had Tomes' attention. Both distractions were in place, giving them six minutes. Six minutes to drag this out, and then get out! That was all that Donnie needed to blow Saks Robotics sky high; he had assured them. What better assurance then from a guy playing dead, right? Question was, would Shredder allow himself to be strung along for six minutes?

"You stink." the woman, Karai, hissed. She applied further pressure to her blade. Leo was fooling them both by letting his strength match hers, but he wasn't here to kill. He smirked. "Hard to find a good shower in this city."

"Levity will not help you against my master." Karai released, kicked, and blocked Leo's answering attack. "He'll destroy you."

"And the city," Leo told her. "If we let him. That really the kind of guy you…" Leo paused, whacking back an advancing soldier. "…want to side with?"

"I'll not argue with you, turtle." Karai narrowed her black eyes at him. "My loyalty is to Oroku Saki; his enemies are mine also."

Well, had to admire her dedication. Leo pushed her away, giving him space to assess their place in the battle. Raph's soldiers were already unconscious, while Mikey was toying with his. But they'd go down and then it'd be them and Shredder. Why did that make him nervous? They'd beaten the Tin Man before, and even one short, they could do it again. Together.

That was when Karai kicked up, banging his injured wrist. Leo steeled himself against the sharp flash of pain and, in anger, he pushed her back full throttle. Her dark eyes went wide as she went sailing back and Leo instantly saw where she was going; over the edge! Instinct took over as Leo ducked, rolled, and caught her by the arm just as her body began to fall.

 _What was that about her callously killing one of her own?_ The inner voice of Raphael berated him. Leo had to admit that his own actions stunned him, but too late to change course now. He pulled Karai up, breaking back into a stance, ready for her reaction. However, it wasn't her he needed to be worried about.

Leo gasped as the freight train of metal that rammed itself into his throat. _Can't breathe! Idiot; c'mon, breathe!_

He saw the floodlight torching the black sky; then the Shredder's menacing shadow blocked it out. Leo raised up, but a foot crushed down on his plastron. _He's gonna strike! Breathe! Fight!_

There was the glint of his swords, but he already knew the reflexes were too late. So why wasn't he sliced and diced already? And what was that… screech?

"You will not have us so easily, Shredder." Master Splinter cried out, his small form pulling Shredder back from Leo. Leo struggled up as his father was clawed at furiously. "Afraid that he will fall as your other did? All who oppose me sign their own death warrants, rodent!"

Raph suddenly came up behind Shredder, blitz attacking his battery packs with his sais. They sparked and Shredder stumbled, swiping an arm around angrily. Leo was up and caught Karai's simultaneous movement, blocking her sword again. Her eyes blazed… yet, she almost seemed to be enjoying their conflict. "What is it you hope to accomplish? Even if my master falls, I will take his place. Another successor will always be there to follow."

Leo shrugged. "You'll run out eventually. Can't be worse then him, I'd imagine."

"Count yourselves fortunate." Karai grunted. "From what I've seen, turtle…"

Only two minutes more! Just keep her talking…

"WACHAA!" Mikey suddenly bellowed, landing behind Karai. "WHAAA…!"

He drew up into crane formation, eyes wide, arms moving dramatically. Seriously, how cheesy could a ninja get? Well, with as much pizza as Mikey ate, plenty!

"Check your math, ninja lady!" Mikey grinned. "Your bodyguards are down for the count. Two to four… ain't lookin' good!"

Karai's eyes gauged them, then produced a second sword from her belt. "Ready when you are."

 _Never say die._ Leo sighed. Another admirable quality wasted on the forces of evil.

"Enough!" Master Splinter cried out over the roof, freezing all other motion. Leo and Mikey looked back at their sensei. Master Splinter held one of Shredder's swords and with a clawed hand had wretched the gleaming helmet off. A man's bald, scarred head was exposed and Master Splinter stared him down, blade to the man's throat. "For my sons."

Leo tensed, feeling his brothers do the same. Was… was their father going to…

}{}{}{}{}{}{

"Put the camera down!" Major Tomes pointed at Vern.

"This is a public walkaway, Dad." Emma reminded him.

"Paid for by the government." Major Tomes drew himself up.

"Paid so the public can enjoy it at their free will." Emma leaned on the van, sharing a grin with Casey. He grinned back. "Hey, I'm enjoying it."

"You do realize I have the authority to place you all under arrest." Major Tomes spoke gravely.

"Too late for roadblocks, Dad." Emma shrugged at him. Casey could only grin at her spunk. "Smile, Commander Major General, you're on live."

Commander Tomes' face changed, emptying of all confidence. What, he thought they had been recording for the heck of it? Casey was taken aback though when the major grabbed Kara's shoulders and shook her. "How could you!? Imogene, do you realize what you've done!"

"Lay off, man!" Casey twirled a bat, tapping the major back on his chest. He stepped back, but his face didn't change. Anger and… was that fear?

"Major Tomes." April chose that moment to move in with her microphone. "Was the U.S. military aware of the lengths being taken to reinstate Oroku Saki as the Shredder? Was U.S. funding contributed toward these efforts?"

She was pulling out all the stops and the fierce determination in her eyes, her stance… Casey found very alluring.

"Miss O'Neil," a voice answered her from behind Major Tomes. All followed the voice to find the man of the hour; Eric Saks. He stepped forward coolly, as though he didn't notice Vern's camera zoomed in on him. "Given the files I've read on you, your annoyance was rather understated."

April's eyes never left him, her anger coming out, raw and heated. "Well, it can't get much better then me sending you to jail… again!"

"Miss O'Neil," Major Tomes began. "I'd advise you to stop speaking…"

"How did you manage to orchestrate your escape from jail, Mr. Saks?" April pushed in with her microphone. "What was so important that you had to return to Saks Robotics?"

Saks smiled in a sick way. "Return? Foolish child… I never left."

With one squelch, his hand reached out and tore the microphone from April's hands. Not with his hands though… his… tentacle!? April gasped, Vern yelped, and Casey cussed as Saks unbuttoned his shirt.

"I told you." Emma watched in discomfort. "Mikey and I told you…"

Inch by inch, other tentacles spread out, until a total of six swarmed about reaching out of a deeply-veined, purple brain body. The tentacle with April's microphone hit her in the face. She hit the ground, looking back up in shock.

"This… this…" Vern stammered, the camera long-fallen from his shoulder. Saks' head turned to face him. "Ah, yes; your live segment."

"General," Major Tomes stepped in. "If we could have a moment…"

"I think we have exhausted that resource, Major." Saks said.

}{}{}{}{}{}{

Donnie was having the time of his life, breaking the back of Saks Robotics' techno-interface. Their encryptions were a tough cookie to crumble, but the lack of distractions- AKA Michelangelo- made it easy to focus on where to hit his proverbial hammer. Download the files on the mutagen, then erase everything. He didn't have to do much more then upload a virus for that.

 _Got it!_ Donnie plucked the final file into his flash drive. He unplugged the stick from the computer. Now came the fun part…

Blaring sirens echoing down the halls made him freeze. That didn't sound very fun.

}{}{}{}{}{}{

Splinter's blade was an inch from Saki's head when a loud, long, wail of noise burst into the night. He squealed as the noise hit his ears and pounded through his head. Splinter dropped the sword, hands hurrying to cover them. His sons, the Foot, even Saki did the same. What… where… It was coming from the building!

"What is that!" Raphael cried out, dropping to a knee in pain. Splinter would've asked the same question, but the sharp vibrations were crippling him to the pavement.


	18. Chapter 18

**Amidst all of this riveting turtle action, I thought I'd mention that I have posted a poll on my profile page (and yes, I've tried saying that five time fast). I'm going to be trying a few more one-shots, but I thought I'd let my readers decide which brother I would focus on for them. Go check it out, and vote away! Now, back to the story...**

 **}{}{}{}{}{**

Everybody's heads turned and winced at the siren emitting from the robotics building behind them. Casey's thoughts went to the lanky turtle inside. He and his brothers were freaky-looking, but their common goal was riding on the one named Donnie getting out of there. Casey looked back as the commander cursed. "General, I find this a bit premature…"

"Your thoughts are irrelevant now, Major Tomes." Saks eyed him coolly.

All this cloak and dagger was getting under Casey's skin and he felt a familiar growl building up in his throat. It was blowhards like this that made him madder then the everyday thugs he busted. They put themselves up on a pedestal, thinking that nothing could touch them. Well, he could show them different.

"As par our agreement," Saks lifted his chin at Emma. "You may take your daughter. The rest will be decided at the hand of Kraang."

Emma stiffened. "Dad? What's he…

"Emma, we're going." Major Tomes looped her around the arm. She dug her heels in. "Not until you…"

He came at her with both hands this time. "Imogene Alexandria, shut up and do what I say, this one time!"

Casey found himself torn between smacking the major off of Emma and putting himself between April and the triple-armed Saks. He reached into his bag with a grin. Good thing he'd brought two baseball bats.

"Heads up!" He broke the tension, sending a crack both ways. With that, everyone else bolted into action. Vern bolted for the driver's seat of the van, April bolted for Saks' throat, and Casey bolted at the first soldier that came at him.

"Hold your fire!" Major Tomes barked, begin to drag Emma toward the cars.

"Let go!" Emma pushed her dad back. But Casey already knew they were out-numbered; twelve armed soldiers and his bats? And then there was crazy O'Neil, giving it to that Saks guy. Casey winced as she took the microphone and drove it into the squishy inhuman stomach. The thing screamed, a tentacle coiling around her elbow, but she used the leverage to bring her taser up and into the neck.

 _She's a regular warrior princess with that thing._ Casey admired. He dropped to a knee, swinging his bat low to knock the soldiers on their backs. "April, get to the van!"

"He won't…" April pushed against Saks with her foot. "Let go!"

They needed to get in the van in the next ten seconds or they weren't making it out at all. The plan required them getting the van around to the side of the parking garage. Emma's bright hair flashed in his peripheral as she twisted in her dad's grip. Her hand came free, clutching his gun and she blasted off a few rounds at Saks. The doppelganger's neck exploded causing the head to keel over, hanging by a wire… wait, what!?

"Ewwww!" April knocked it back, letting it roll and bounce to the pavement. It landed where Casey saw the pulsing red eyes. "It… it's gonna blow! Deep left!"

He wasn't too sure why he yelled that because he hit the head into right field. It was where the bad guys were routing from. Vern yelled at them that their ride was leaving. Emma and her dad fought for the gun and Casey grabbed April. He got her in the back as the engine came alive.

"Emma?" April cried out.

"Go!" she screamed, already too far away to run for it. "I'll be fine; go!"

Running was against his principles, but the kid knew what she was doing. She was with her dad… ugh, why didn't that sound more comforting?

"Get driving, newsboy." Casey yelled, slamming the doors shut as the soldiers advanced. The side poked and popped with bullet holes and Casey placed himself on top of April, pinning them both to the floor of the van. The tires squealed and they were jerked from side to side as it sped away, the rapid fire of the guns growing faint. Casey tried to get his heart rate to slow down… or… was that April's heart beat he was feeling?

"Off." she commanded, green eyes shooting daggers. Casey lifted his hands, backing off. She sat up, unclenching her fist from her taser. "Vern, you ok?"

"I'm thinking about that much needed vacation time." Vern yelled back at them.

"Emma…" April started a bit. "What… what do we do?"

"I'm sure she can handle herself." Casey watched the holes in the side of the van. "Considering the company you guys keep."

}{}{}{}{}{

"The van's on the move!" Raph yelled out, keeping his ears covered. "Let's book!"

Easier said then done, the siren still blaring across the roof. Leo was the first to vault over the edge and Raph pulled Mikey with him. It wasn't easy, what with the bozo claiming that his ears were bleeding. Sensei, on the other hand, wasn't budging. "Sensei! Mikey, help me get him!"

"Watch your back, bro!" Mikey spun his nunchucku, knocking Saki's head to the side. He gained some space between him and Splinter. "Yeah, son!"

"Michelangelo!" Splinter hissed, clutching his ears.

"Undone by your own alarm system," Mikey hopped around Shredder. "That's gotta burn!"

Saki's response was a mad roar and a thrust of his blade at Mikey. Raph gave a roar of his own, frustrated at his dork of a brother. He deflected the blade with his sai. He shoved Mikey back toward Splinter. "Get to the edge, lame brain; I'll cover you."

"Here comes our train!" Leo yelled from where he held up their escape route. "One-way ticket!"

The plan was to leap down and onto the roof of the Channel 6 van. Yeah, that had been the plan. Brilliant Leo, always forgetting how quickly plans could change. Raph spun and knocked two Foot hefties out with a single kick. He watched Leo push Mikey over the side, and prepared to follow with Splinter. Their timing needed to be nanoseconds apart to catch the van. He reached the edge, then felt the vertigo. Wait, vertigo? He didn't get vertigo! He traipsed all over the city for crying out loud! Nonetheless, Shredder and his cronies were closing in; with two heads apiece. Aw, man! Tranquilizer darts; again!

"Raph!" Leo yelled up. "C'mon!"

But Raph knew that he'd be no more then dead weight now… and they still needed to double back for Donnie! If he was even out. The sirens hadn't been encouraging.

 _Only one way to find out._ Raph tried to be positive as he blacked out.


	19. Chapter 19

Leonardo felt many things as he free-felled from the parking garage. Terror, but not for himself. He only felt anger at himself. Stupid as well, for not acting- or reacting- faster. Raph had slumped on the roof, surprising both him and Splinter. Then, without warning, Splinter had charged ahead, knocking the nearest soldier away from Raph.

"Sensei…" Leo started, but like lightening, Master Splinter's tail had whipped him back, sending him over the edge. Leo squeezed his eyes shut, forcing focus onto landing on his feet. His mind whirled, but adrenaline yielded to instinct and he hit the van right beside Mikey. He banged the metal with his fist. "DRIVE!"

"Where's Raph?" Mikey cried. The van lunged ahead and they gripped the ridges tight. Mikey eyed him wildly. "Leo?"

Leo gave him a look that meant later. His anger had become fury, like the wind hitting his face. He should've been faster, should've been the one to leap to Raph's defense! Not sensei! Now that their father and brother were in Shredder's clutches, things just got so much more complicated.

"Guys!" April cried out into their comms.

Leo looked ahead, jaw dropping at what he saw. Robots? Yeah, about nine-foot robots marching to block the road in front of them. Robots with guns… oh man, that reminded him. Donnie was back there too! This night just kept getting better and better.

"Vern better become Paul Walker." Mikey quivered beside him. "Catapult?"

Another one of those moments where Mikey surprised him. Leo pulled himself forward, dropping his head in front of the windshield. He watched Vern's frantic eyes, April's wide stare, and Casey Jones' intense glare. "Hit the brakes!"

Vern's eyes widened. "Are you…"

"Hit the brakes!"

Vern hit the brakes and for the second time, Leo went flying into midair.

"Cowabunga!" came Mikey's fierce yell behind him. Leo whipped out his katanas and he faced the middle bot. Lodging his blade through the front of the robotic neck, Leo used the hand hold to swing around and slice the head off of the one next to it. Sparks flew and fizzed, the robot's gun fired erratically, having lost its direction. That's when the shriek came and Leo looked at its stomach. What the… A wet feeling over Leo's leg broke his concentration and Leo barely registered the tentacle before he sliced it. That's disgusting!

"I told you!" Mikey yelled from Leo's right. "Brain people! It's _Independence Day_ bro!"

A lot of information was hitting Leo all at once, but he'd have to process it later. Wrenching his second katana out, Leo submitted the same dicing to the other two robots on his side. The battle lasted six seconds. Then Leo and Mikey boarded into the back of the news van as it zoomed by. Leo wedged himself into the back after Mikey, slamming the door behind them. For a few moments, he only heard his own heavy breathing. Then came April's question. "Where's Splinter? Where's Raphael?"

"Leo?" Mikey asked, eyes puzzled, if not fearful. Leo took a breath, sucking up the courage to answer. "They fell behind."

"What, you left 'em?" Casey Jones nudged him off against the opposite wall. "Ya jus' left 'em there!?"

"I didn't leave anybody." Leo threw him a warning glare. "With any luck, they'll meet up with Don and we'll pick them all up when it's time."

Vern groaned. "We're gonna need a bigger van."

"But, Leo," Mikey wavered. "There was a lot of them."

"Sensei's a strong fighter." April assured him.

"Uh, I don't mean to add to all our other problems." Vern called their attention to the front, spinning the volume of the radio up. "But, listen."

"Again, this only came in a few moments ago." a frantic voice came out over the speakers. "We can neither confirm nor deny, but it seems that all over the city, people are being attacked by robots of some kind… Everyone sucked in a breath as the voice cut off. There was a moment of static. "People of Earth…"

"It's started!" Mikey whispered excitedly. Leo pushed him back.

"The ones speaking to you are the ones known as Kraang." an automated voice announced. "Kraang is pleased to report the domination of your world."

"Look!" April breathed out in horror and Leo crowded with the others to get a look through the windshield. They had yet to reach the city, but the street that Vern cruised down showed two kinds of people. Those screaming and whacking at their attackers, and then the attackers, who were shooting red blasts out of sleep, white pistols.

"Watch out!" Casey grabbed Vern's shoulder as a wigging out man fumbled into the street. He came close to meeting their fender and Leo yanked Mikey back, knowing that it wouldn't be the best of times for them to be seen. He couldn't be sure what was happening, but this was not how he had pictured the night going.

}{}{}{}{}{}{

Pretending to be dead was a fortuitous position to be in, Donatello was learning. Like now, when Saks Robotics was humming with activity, he didn't have to worry about anyone looking for him. Sure, there had been the one guard, but there was too much going on for the higher-ups to be bothered with that. This relative quiet gave him time to assess and collect his thoughts, binding them with the facts. Any bodies that he had seen were concentrating toward the west end of the building; facing the East River. That was where he needed to be.

Crashing their computer systems had been but part one of tonight's mission; part two dealt with tracking down the mutagens and destroying all of it. To finally end this whole thing; cut the head off of the snake. In this case, the glowing green one.

"Gotta get to the main laboratory." Don set a goal for himself, holding his cool in the cramped vent. He wasn't the biggest of his brothers, but being tall presented other challenges. He closed his eyes, centered his breathing, and listened. Footsteps, mechanical beeping, coming ahead and from the right. Ok, any activity, Emma would be here. She said she'd make sure of it… and Donnie believed her. He hadn't said so much, but neither had anyone else… Well, except Raph. Master Splinter had been the final mediator in the matter and allowed her the chance to help. Besides, she had the advantage that the rest of them didn't. An inside source.

Donnie crept along the metal chute, catching sight of several employees through a hallway grate. It was the vacant expressions that made him pause. With all the sirens and running around, shouldn't they appear more anxious? Yet… they weren't even sweating.

"Kraang's schedule had been moved ahead, the time that is known as two years." one employee observed. "This makes Kraang, that which is known as edgy."

"Perhaps Kraang should stretch Kraang's tentacles." another suggested.

What!? Donnie leaned in closer. What was Kraang? And why were these people speaking so… mechanically? Donnie clamped a hand over his mouth as the stomach of the first employee erupted through its clothes, unleashing six, long, rubbery tentacles. _Oh man… Mikey… Mikey was right!_

Don's mind raced, but he needed to get to the lab. The sirens, a schedule, and tentacles… The pieces fell in right beside each other, formulating their theory. What better hiding place for an alien then a factory specializing in robotics. It was like a sleeper cell. Could there be more throughout the city? The sirens might have been signaling this discovery… sounded like the work of his brothers.

"Listen, chum!" a voice spiked through the vent, causing Don to bump his head. "You ever watch the Lego Movie? You know the cop who's always throwing around chairs when something makes him mad? Well, I toss chairs AND TABLES!"

Yep, that'd be Emma. True, Donnie hadn't known her long, but such a declarative statement was unmistakable. Donnie followed it like a homing beacon. Her 'capture' was part two, after all. She was in charge of misdirection, as well as passing along her father's all-access security card. Donnie wasn't so worried about the former, as he was about the latter.

"There you are." Donnie caught sight of the redhead, surrounded by three other Saks employees. Their faces told Don that they were in the same class as the others… robots, harboring an alien form where their livers should be.

"You are proving to be that which is known as a pest." one employee tightened his grip on Emma's arm. "It makes Kraang that which is known as cranky."

"And apparently you never went to that which is known as grammar school." Emma mocked, twisting her arm out of his hand. "Or do they not have those on your planet?"

"Our planet is of no more consequence." a second robot answered her. "This is our planet now."

Emma's face twisted, like Mikey's would if someone touched his comics. _Oh Imogene, don't…_

Emma's foot was already out, squishing the robot in the stomach. It flailed wildly, telling Donnie that whatever controls there were, they were main-framed in the torso. Emma took this opening to throw a hard right cross into the other's jaw. The only crack that came however, was from her own knuckles. The head didn't even flinch!

"AGGGHHH!" Emma cried out in pain, clutching her fist. "MAN!"

Major Tomes suddenly materialized from down the hall, looking into his daughter's reddened hand. But he wasn't the only one who appeared. There was the cold face of Oroku Saki coming up behind him. Emma pushed past her dad's fondling. "So… he's actually alive."

Saki dipped his scarred head, bowing at the waist. "Greetings, Miss Tomes."

"Dewitter." Emma corrected him. This raised his eyebrows. ""Such disrespect for your elders. Must be the company she keeps, Commander."

Emma tilted her head, tapping her left cheek. "Same company that gave you that bruise?"

 _Emma, shut up!_ Don gave an inward groan. _Mikey may call her his girlfriend, but she and Raph's wits were made for each other!_

"It might interest you to know that a few of your pets have found their way back to their cages." Was Saki's only response.

WHAT! Don's heart rate shallowed; his hand went to tap his comm, but he remembered he had no contact this deep in the building.

"Master Shredder, I will handle this." Major Tomes steered Emma away. "You have many affairs to attend."

"As do you." Saki nodded, turning back the way he had come. The robots followed him, while Major Tomes led Emma the other way. Donnie was torn. Shredder had alluded to the capture of his family, yet the plan was to get the access card from Emma. What would Leo do? He would follow the plan… besides, if he wanted to get anywhere, it'd be with that access card. Decision intact, Donnie hurried along soundlessly behind Major Tomes until he ushered Emma into a conference room at the end of the second hall. Don managed to sidle up to the vent to the gray room with an oval wooden table, as he shut the door.

" _MASTER Shredder!"_ Emma pulled out of her father's grasp, spinning on him with disbelief. "Got yourself a new boss, eh, major?"

"Watch it young lady! I'm still your father." Major Tomes threw his hat onto the table. "What did Saki mean by pets and cages?!"

Emma smirked, leaning on one of the high-backed chairs. "You tell me; you're the one with all the intel."

Donnie could only see the commander's back, but could tell that he was weighing which battle to fight with his daughter. Splinter used the same posture many times with Raph.

"You gonna fill me in or what?" Emma broke the staring match. Commander Tomes sighed, but said nothing. Emma narrowed her eyes and tried again. "Does Mom know… about any of this?"

"She's aware of it." Major Tomes said vaguely.

"Of course she is." Emma shook her head, eyes trailing up to the vent. Donnie already had his pen light out and blinked it out. Twice.

"She'll be here soon." Major Tomes retrieved his hat. "I'm having her brought over from our hotel."

"For what?" Emma looked up, walking toward the windows, then back again.

"That little stunt you pulled out there? That's just accelerated a plan that was fifty years in the making!" Major Tomes chased after her, spinning her around. "What was intended as a peaceful integration now becomes the next installation in the Terminator series!"

 _So that's where Emma gets her movie referencing gene._ Donnie thought with surprise. He had thought the mother, or a grandparent, maybe.

"Integration of what? Of Kraang?" Emma dropped the name, stopping her dad. "Are they trampling over the city as we speak? Let me guess though, they won't touch us because you've bargained with your sway in the military. Right?"

Major Tomes' silence gave her and Don all the answers. "We'll discuss this when I get back. I'm broadcasting to calm the city's nerves. I'll deal with you then."

"You know how degrading that expression is, Dad?" Emma clutched her head in frustration. "Deal with me? What am I, a broken-down carburetor? I'm your daughter!"

Major Tomes turned. "Your mother will join you when she arrives."

And with that, he left the room, locking the door behind him. Don's heart went out to Emma as she ran her hands over a stressed face. She didn't wear it often and it was frankly, a little strange. But she pushed it back and grabbed a chair, standing on it under the vent; even so, her head barely reached the grate. She held up the access card. Donnie grinned as he grabbed it. "You sure you're not a ninja?"

"Just a kleptomaniac." Emma tossed up a leather fold. "Here's his wallet."

Donnie shook his head. "I'll pick the lock and we can…"

"You get to the labs and burn that mutagen." Emma stopped him. "I need to stay here."

"What? Why?"

"You heard what Shredder said." Emma exclaimed. "Your family's in here, somewhere. My best bet is to follow my dad around. Then we can get them out."

"There's no structure to that plan!" Donnie cried, trying to keep his voice down.

"It's the only one we have." Emma said. "Comms are down until you get on the roof. We don't know who's on the inside or outside anymore. I'm the only way you can find out."

"What makes you think that they're not in the same vicinity as the mutagen?" Donnie purposed. Emma's eyes narrowed at him, bored with the argument. "Do your thermal scans tell you that they are?"

"Haha." Donnie growled. "Emma, the instability of things as they are, I don't advise us splitting up."

That's when the door clicked again; someone was unlocking it!

"Too late." Emma dropped from her chair, pushing it back into the table. "Get going!"

Great, another what would Leo do, moment? Respect the lady's wishes or be chivalrous… and most likely out numbered? Plus, Emma would kill him if he got caught. Donnie blew out his breath, looking ahead through the gloomy vent. _Be careful, Emma._


	20. Chapter 20

"What were you doing?" Karai's eyes pegged Emma, standing in front of her two Foot soldiers with authority… and attitude. She was still mad about the rumble in the alleyway. Kara leaned on the chair, coolly as possible. "Plotting my escape."

Karai laughed; a souless laugh. "And miss all the fun? You would insult us."

Emma tilted her head at the two soldiers. "You boys here to escort me to a surprise birthday party? You're a couple months early."

"You find this a joke, child?" Karai questioned, brows raised.

 _How old does she think she is?_ Emma speculated. "The only joke is how you've sold your selves out to aliens. How long's _that_ been going on?

"We're the ones asking questions here, Emma Tomes." Karai stepped forward, putting her two inches on Emma. "You can answer them to me or to my master."

Now the foreboding set into Emma's stomach. This was no joking matter, they were delving below the surface now. Dad couldn't protect her from it, and Donnie being the logical one had already moved on. But Emma had told him to, so he held no fault. From here on out, it was all on her. She dug deep for the courage to see it through.

"Again with that 'master' thing," Emma air-quoted. "I'm curious, did Saki win that through election or…"

SLAP! Karai's hand flew across her face. Emma steadied herself with a hand on the table, the force vibrating down to her toes. Karai grabbed her chin, making their eyes meet. "There is no military rank to shield you here, _Imogene_. Your special green friends; where did they go?"

 _The rendezvous, where they're waiting to come back around for Donatello._ Emma's mind whispered, but she didn't let the thought reach her eyes. "They are pretty special, aren't they. Cute too, in their own right. Were they much of a challenge for your 'master' on the roof?"

Before Emma knew what was happening, her left arm was twisted behind her back and a wazashashi at her throat. _Oh boy!_

"We often mistake bravery for stubbornness or pride," Karai hissed in her ear. "I can assure you, neither is worth the risk."

 _Keep your head!_ Emma ordered her thumping heart. "It's not about my pride. It's about the entire planet, as it seems. I'm trying to make sure this stays the 'land of the free', ya know."

"You misread their intentions." Karai explained frivolously.

"I ain't bowing to no brain people." Emma told her, her Adam's apple hitting the cold steel. "Their actions in the sewers spoke clearly enough."

"Apparently not." Karai's hand moved from her wrist to her fingers. Her sore fingers. "You had a run in with the Kraang in the hall; it would appear that you broke a knuckle."

With those words, a bone cracked. Emma's whole body flinched in pain. Yep, it was broken! _Just keep breathing, just keep breathing…_

"You and the others came here with a plan." Karai deduced with another crack of Emma's knuckles. "What was your back door? Where did they go?"

"Why should you care?" Emma dared ask. Her reward was a third loud crack. She huffed through the agony, biting back the scream in her throat. This was all for Mikey and his brothers. Nothing that she wouldn't have done for Carson.

"There's no sure victory as long as the enemy exists." Karai explained. "Master Shredder will rest easier, knowing that all are eliminated."

Emma's voice shook. "You're wasting your time… and my knuckles. I can be pretty centered when I want to be… Especially with my loyalties."

"We'll see." Karai huffed.

}{}{}{}{}{

"Do you have a plan yet?"

"No."

"Do you have a plan… yet?"

"No."

"Ok… do you have a plan…"

"MIKEY!" Leo warned his brother. April blocked them out, but she couldn't do as much with the growing pit in her stomach. How did it even get to this? All they'd intended to do was out her father's killer in jail. Now, they and the whole city found themselves in the middle of an alien invasion. The streets were in chaos, cars and buildings were on fire, and there were bullets flying left and right. Casey had directed Vern away from the general population and they now found themselves under a bridge across the East River, almost directly across from the robotics building. The radio in the van continued to report in its monotone of doom; from Staten Island to Fifth Avenue, the aliens were attacking. And winning.

Bringing April back to her original question; how had it come to this? She tried the comm in her ear one more time. "Don? Don, come in… Donatello, answer me!"

Boy, did she wish that he would answer! She needed his sweet and gentle presence right now, to make the situation seem not so dire. But he wasn't here, he was over behind the enemy lines… along with Raphael and Master Splinter. Ugh, it was all a mess!

"Hey."

April looked up to find Casey standing beside her. His mask was off and a golf club hung loosely in his hand. He looked as defeated as she felt, but there was no mistaking the steel in his eyes. "Listen, are we gonna leave the thinkin' to the squabblin' frogs or are we gonna do somethin'?"

"We're turtles, dude." Mikey interjected through narrow eyes. "And if you'll give Leo a minute, he'll think of something…" He looked at his brother, beaming with confidence. "So… do you have a plan yet?"

"MIKEY!" Leo seethed at him, taking a step forward.

"Ah, excuse me." Vern raised a hand. "But what could we come up with that'll stand against an INVASION!?"

"Something to make E.T. go home." Casey smirked. "I got some TNT in my bag."

April jumped back from him. "You carry around loose sticks of TNT?"

"They're taped together." he shrugged innocently at her. Vern shook his head. "I guess we just roll it under the mother ship and blast them back home, right?"

Casey swung the club, hitting Vern in the chest. "I'd like to see you come up with some ideas…"

"QUIET!" Leo's voice leapt on top of everybody else's. He took a few breaths. "We're not going to make things easier by fighting. We need to keep our heads if we're going to solve this."

"But, Leo…" Mikey bit at his fingers nervously. "All this tech stuff, that's D's department."

"But you're the one who's read the most comics." Leo steadied his brother with a hand on his shoulder. "And you're seen these things up close."

"What can you tell us about them?" April caught on, her journalism kicking in. "They've gotta be organized in some way, right? For as many of them as there are."

Mikey gave a brief pause, before his face lit up. "They're dependent on their skeleton suits. It's how they get around and my guess is they couldn't do much without them. No doubt that's what Saks Robotics has been used for all these years, making suits for the aliens."

"The suits were blinking." April noted. "Did you notice, on the side of their heads, a purple light kept blinking. Like buoys would on a harbor, responding to a radio signal."

Her mind raced and she shot past them, climbing back into the van. "Suppose… suppose these things' brain waves operate the suits." She yanked open Donnie's laptop. "But the suits themselves are powered by a wavelength."

"O'Neil," Vern raised an eyebrow. "What're you thinking?"

"The police track our phones by the pings off of cell towers." April explained, bringing up the map that she wanted. "And those towers are how our phones get service. Towers go out, so does the signal. If one of these is by Saks Robotics; there is!" She pointed excitedly at the screen. "How much you wanna bet that if we cut the power to that tower, then all the suits die off, leaving the aliens helpless?"

Leo was listening and nodding. "Sounds logical; but only if there's a signal. We need Donnie to be sure."

"Well, we gotta go back for him anyway." Mikey pranced from foot to foot. "What's ten or thirty minutes ahead of schedule?"

"Any ideas on how to even get back in?" Casey posed, looking out over the East River.

"Through an interview?" Vern suggested. All looked at him like he had lost it, but he held up the cell phone that he had just hung up. "Thompson just texted me to meet with other camera crews at the gates of Saks Robotics. Naval Commander Tomes will be making a statement regarding the… 'current situation'."

April looked at Leo, his brow furrowed in thought. "That sounds easy… too easy."

"Or just the cover that you need." April offered optimistically. "Major Tomes will be expecting me there…"

"Naval commander." Casey spoke out. "Let's not forget that this guy's military. He'll be counting on you to use it as a cover, expecting you to sneak in while his back's turned. We've already pulled the diversion tactic."

"But they still don't know that Donnie's inside." Mikey pointed out.

"We need to talk to Donnie one way or another." Leo considered, pressing in over April's shoulder. "If your hunch is right, then he can confirm it. And we have to get to that tower."

"By 'we'," Vern ventured nervously. "That would be…"

"Me and Mikey." Leo assured him. "You and April need to make that press conference."

"No way!" April hopped out of the chair. "I'm not…"

"Babe, it's too dangerous." Mikey said. "We've gotta go full ninja for this one."

April blew out her breath. "One of these days, I'm learning ninjutsu and leaving you guys on the sidelines."

"What's your point of entry?" Casey asked, tapping his gold club anxiously. "Don't think that I'm missin' out on this, Greenie. No one leads, Casey Jones."

April laid a hand on Leo's arm, as though to say 'one battle at a time'. And they had plenty of those ahead of them.

 **So much... so much happening! Let me know if I'm putting your TMNT sensors on overload.**


	21. Chapter 21

Finally! That stuff was wearing off! Raph shook his head, trying to get his eyes and mind to focus. _The mind disciplines the body,_ as Splinter always said. _Lead with the one and the other will not fail you._

His father's voice was calming to Raph, as always. He was going to need to remain calm because sensing danger was his superpower. Danger, action, violence, he had a nose for the stuff. And his last known thought was that the baddies had tranqued him. And if Leo had been smart, he had gotten the rest of them out of there. Whatever situation he was in, he'd get out of it, meet up with Donnie; they'd cut this place down to size, and be home in time for breakfast.

His surroundings were an immediate flashback to the Saks estate a year ago. Cinderblock walls, lab equipment over every surface, people in white lab coats running around. Foot soldiers guarded the room too. While he remained groggy, Raph tested his strength, only to find himself weighted down by thick leather straps. Wrists and legs strained against the bulk of his shell beneath him. And, no surprise, his sais weren't on his person.

Raph turned his head, stomach churning in angst as he spotted them. They rested on a silver tray, next to several, wicked-looking instruments. Raph's eyes flicked beyond it… and his heart jumped. "Sensei!"

Calmness flew out the window as Raph caught sight of Splinter strapped to the table across from him. A sleeve of his kimono had been ripped up to the shoulder and three needles and a pressure cuff covered his arm. Raph started pulling all the harder on his restraints, fury fusing his veins with adrenaline. Cold hands startled him and Raph tried in vain to jerk away as a mousy scientist swabbed at his forearm. "Get offa me!"

The scientist jumped back, eyes wide. Raph glared "Kinda different when the experiment bites back!"

A soldier rushed in to protect the science geek, jamming a gun barrel into Raph's forehead. Yeah, like that'd deter him. Raph cocked his chin up, catching the soldier's wrist. Raph grinned and jerked his neck to the right. The bone snapped and the soldier dropped his gun in agony. Feeling the shift in gravity, Raph heaved his body forward. The table groaned lifting him up enough for him to head-butt the soldier. The force sent him back into some lame back-up that was meant to help him. Not likely.

"Raphael." Master Splinter's voice alerted Raph through his blind rage. Enough for him to catch the blade whizzing for his head. Raph froze as it embedded into the metal, a scant centimeter from slicing into his brain. With his eyes, he retraced its path; of course, Shredder was on the other end. He was short a freaky helmet still, but hard to mistake that intense hate in his eyes.

"Nearly a year to train him farther rat," Shredder chuckled, stepping closer to the tables. "And he's still learned nothing."

Master Splinter raised his eyes, looking weary. "Then release him."

"Not likely." Shredder retracted his blade from Raph's table, then lowered his arm. Raph glared and growled. _He thinks he's so cool with those magic magnets of his!_

The whirring of a robot grabbed his attention. It came to a stop before the Shredder, saluting. "Kraang has need of the organic human substance known as blood."

"The mutagen was their creation." Master Splinter deduced, seemingly out of his hat. No, wait, there were large canisters of the stuff floating in tubes across the room. Unless… dear old dad knew something that Raph didn't.

"Think yourself clever, rodent?" Shredder tapped on his armor, reminding them where they were and where he was. Raph rolled his eyes. _Great… here come the gloating details of the master evil plan. So textbook…_

"The Kraang have no need of us." Master Splinter was insisting now.

"On the contrary," the glowing robot, like something out of the Age of Ultron, spoke. "Your samples will prove useful in the research that will lead us to the success of combining the DNA of Kraang with the DNA of humans."

Who was this 'Kraang' the dude kept talking about? Raph then caught sight of the fish bowl that the robot had for a belly. Inside the bowl wriggled the purple 'brain' that Mikey had been ranting about. Ugh, the bonehead was right!

"In short, the slicing open of you will be bridging the gaps- metaphorical, not literal- in our research." the alien continued to speak like an answering machine, bringing a sweat of annoyance to Raph's brow. "Allowing Kraang to further analyze the primitive cellular structure and fill in the necessary defaults."

Where was Donnie to translate when you needed him? Nearby, Raph hoped, as he cleared his throat. "Yeah, I dare you to try, Squishy. And where you plan to get all the human blood samples; can't have too many volunteers."

Shredder chuckled. "Slow in motion and in brain. The necessary samples have been stored for some time now. Thank Miss Tomes for her assistance, when she arrives."

What did _that_ mean? What had Emma done? Played them for shellbacks, that's what. Raph struggled between these questions and the return of the annoying lab coat. In spite of his squirming, he got hooked up to a heart monitor, as Shredder stepped forward to tower over Master Splinter. Without his helmet, he got to show off a sickening grin. "So many secrets to unearth…"

"You only wish to unearth pain." Master Splinter shook his head at him.

"True." Shredder nodded. Then like lightening, swung his hand down, releasing a thin, slender blade. It sliced into Master Splinter's right ear.

There was a shriek and a curse; both came from Raph. _Dead! They're all dead! The Shredder was first, cuse he's closest! Then his soldiers and science flunkies! No, flip that, save the challenge for last! Then… it's Emma's turn!_

 **Yes, compared to the last two chapters, it's short, but I didn't have any other way to really break up the action. But hey, at least Raph's back in roaring action... sort of.**


	22. Chapter 22

_Cold, cold, cold… and more cold!_ Mikey pushed himself forward through the water. Though it was March, it still held a chill that belonged back in January. It shouldn't bug him so much, turtles being an— anph— water-loving creatures. _Then again, how many turtles swim through a New York river._

Mikey shuttered, but he kept up with Leo who was half a stroke ahead. They were nearly to the bank of the East River, putting them just below the electric fences of Saks Robotics. That was their entry point. Their communications were still down, but almost ten minutes ago, there had been a series of flashes coming at them from a corner window of the building. According to Leo, it was situated in the perfect position to be viewed from three sides of the complex. It was morse code; _Gettin' the band back together._

That was Donnie. So, in went Mikey and Leo, while April and Vern obeyed the station and went to cover the conference that Emma's dad was holding. Every station was going to be there and he hoped the crowd would serve as a buffer between April and the Kraang. She was in their sights now, like all of them were. Emma had already been caught… he didn't want the same thing happening to both of his girls…

 _Ugh, I'm not gonna make it!_ Mikey agonized. He tapped Leo's shoulder and made for the surface. His best time was 4:28, two whole minutes behind his big brother who obsessed over excelling in everything. But trying to navigate through the water at night required more energy. Mikey broke the grimy surface, Leo's head appearing a second later. He nodded encouragingly before they both dove back down. Once they reached the edge of Saks Robotics, Leo would unpack Donnie's device from the plastic bag he had tied to his waist. It was meant to override an electric frequency, short-circuiting it entirely. Once they overlaid it with the spire's interface that is.

 _I totally sounded smart right there!_ Mikey almost smiled to himself, then remembered where he was. _I'll have to be sure to repeat it to Emma later._

In spite of his worry, Mikey was loving the fact that this had become a rescue mission. Get the girl and bail his big brother out! Dude, Raph was going to be so ticked! That is, if he hadn't bulldozed through half of the Saks building yet. But nope, it was still in one piece as Mikey and Leo surfaced again. Leo grabbed the grassy edge of the bank with both hands, lifting himself from the water. Mikey followed, alert for any aliens that might be scouting the area. They remained low, only four feet or so from the fence.

"I can't take this 'no-talking' thing anymore." Mikey risked whispering. Leo glared. "Grow some tolerance, would ya."

"Can't." Mikey shrugged. "I'm too busy growing a spine."

Leo rolled his eyes, then made the motion to move in. They ran to the fence in perfect synch, a smaller device already in Leo's hands. He stuck it onto the telephone pole that reached up and delivered power lines to the roof's antenna. Mikey anted behind him. "Can I push the button?"

"You'l push the wrong one." Leo quickly dismissed him.

"Dude, _there_ is only one." Mikey reached over Leo's shoulder. "It's the blue…"

Leo swatted him back. "Michelangelo! Can you at least pretend to notice how serious this is?!"

Mikey buttoned up for a second, watching as Leo hit the button. Within seconds, it let out a jolt of current and shut down the fence. "You don't need to tell me this is serious, bro. Bad guys, aliens, corrupt government officials… plenty serious. Being non-serious gives us an edge over them, don't cha think?"

Leos' eyes flicked down, thinking. "Tell that to Raphael and Master Splinter."

"You need to let that go, man." Mikey sighed. "You fight for our family harder then anyone. It's not just your responsibility, or your fault, if something…"

"SHHHH!" Leo cut him off. "You want someone to…"

SMASH! The brothers looked up to see the glass of two broken windows and a free falling robot meeting the ground inside the powerless fence.

}{}{}{}{SIX MINUTES AGO}{}{}{}{

 _Command line interface is the stem, the various systems are the individual roots…_ Donnie's mind zipped through the streams of code that he had spent the last two days memorizing. Among them were the overrides that really concerned him. Every self-preserving computer system had one. And it would be his duty to use it against the Kraang. And the Foot… and half of the U.S. Navy…

 _"_ _This is baaadd!" Donnie had been hyperventilating ten minutes ago. "My only sense of direction is the main control room."_

Well, he had made it. And from his perch in the ventilation shaft, Don could make out, not only long, fat glass tubes of mutagen towering two stories, but also a holographic globe, surrounded on all sides by the control panels. If he had to guess, the glowing dots all over said globe had to be the alien sleepers that were now active throughout the world. Could a signal reach that far? For these extra terrestrials, yes. That was good though… signal, meant frequency. And if Donnie was able to shoot down that frequency, the Kraang would lose the upper hand of this invasion. Without their technology to assist their mobility, the citizens would be able to take back the city. They would be plenty mad and willing to do so.

So now it was Mission Halt World Domination, Blast Mutagen to Kingdom Come, and Rescue Family Members… boy, the life of a teenage mutant ninja turtle sure got complicated fast. The best option for this mission would have been stealth, but a time crunch prevented such precision. The conference that Major Tomes had mentioned was the deadline; Donnie had said so in the morse code he had sent out. Full-frontal assault, beginning now…

 _Beginning now!_ Donnie cheered himself on. _Beginning now… ugh, where's Mikey's annoying pep talks when you need it? This's more Raph's thing._

Nonetheless, Donnie unscrewed the corners of the vent. On the count of three… three and a half… Don spun himself out of the vent, bo staff out as he free-falled the twenty-six feet. He landed to find a few dozen or so glaring Kraang eyeballs trained on him. Don took a breath, then took his stance. "Who's first?"

 _Heh, classic Raphael line. Maybe I'll throw in a 'cowabunga' for good measure._

Donnie swung his bo out, knocking two of the bots down. But that wasn't enough to stop them. Utilizing his staff like a pole vault, Donnie sailed over their heads as they started shooting. No time to waste! Donnie landed on the dashboard that harbored the master controls. "Oh, what's this button do?"

"Be stepping away from the place that is known as 'there'," a bot rushed forward, its brain's eyes bulging. That was a good sign. Don sprung out his handy little ninja spider (Mikey's label for it) and clamped it onto the deck, and leapt away. He had just gotten behind the opposite control panel, balancing one one foot atop his staff, when the 'spider' exploded.

Not only did it burst the controls, but it rocked an electrical shock in every direction, down the board and across the floor. From his wooden perch, Don got to watch the sensational sizzling of their alien invaders and their exoskeletons. Smoke, metal parts, and the sound of breaking glass as a bot was propelled back through the windows facing the East River.

"So nice of you to get the door for them." Donnie couldn't resist chucking to himself. He was enjoying himself! Perhaps there was something to Mikey joking all the time! He dropped to the ground, staff at the ready, approaching the window. He breathed in the cool breeze rushing in and peered down just as Leo decapitated the head and arms of a Kraang-bot. Mikey waved, throwing up a grappling hook. "How's the weather up there?"

"Stimulating." Donnie hollared back. "A little hostility from the locals though."

His brothers shimmied up the rope in the seconds it took Donnie to take in the magnitude of the Kraang lab. Mikey's eyes widened with each new button that he spotted, while Leo's narrowed in thought. "A little update from the other side. We got bots stampeding the city from all directions. Sleeper cells?"

"Affirmative." Donnie nodded, moving to the controls next to the dashboard he'd blown up. "Good news and more good news, though…"

"That's a first." Mikey commented, moving to touch a button.

"Michelangelo!" they yelled a second too late. The button beeped and a holographic screen popped up above the board. Smaller frames immediately filled it. Donnie squinted at the lower right-hand labels; _Corridor Five, Level Three, Lab Nine…_

"Mikey!" Donnie cried in disbelief, stepping closer to study the screens. "You just gave us a way to find Raph and Splinter!"

Mikey smirked, blowing on his knuckles. "Mad skills, brah."

Leo pressed in as he and Donnie looked over the screens carefully. "Ahhhh…. There! Lab 2!"

As he pointed, there was a shift of pixels and the picture of Lab 2 enlarged four times. Robots walked back and forth between tables… tables with instruments…

"There!" Mikey cried out, pointing to the two tables near the center of the room. Donnie raised a brow and pointed his finger again. And again, the image enhanced, showing Raph and Splinter, strapped to metal tables, Raph thrashing about of course. Splinter, on the other hand, was still… perhaps too still.

"What're they doing?" Leo asked hesitantly. Donnie didn't have the answer; wasn't sure that he wanted to find the answer. Yet, he drew the image closer and closer, taking in the details surrounding his brother and father. That's how he spotted the tubes entering Splinter's right arm. He shivered. "When we were caught, Saks and Shredder took stuff out… looks like now, they're putting stuff in."

"What 'stuff'?" Mikey air-quoted, though his face was hardly joking.

"Saks wanted our blood because of the mutagen properties within." Donnie thought aloud, testing the limits of the video enhancement. There seemed to be none. "Suppose these Kraang are the origin of this mutagen… mutagen that had never been tested before on living subjects. Us excluded, of course."

"Well they can cross reptiles off the list." Leo growled.

Donnie's stomach dropped as the row of refrigerators zoomed in on them. "And only the humans are left."

"What makes you say that?" Mikey looked at the picture, clearly not seeing the obvious. The refrigerators held vials… row after row of vials, packed and stored behind the frosted glass doors. These vials contained blood, and they were arranged by type and sex, state and country. And in the front was a name Donnie wished he didn't recognize; 'Tomes, Imogene'. _Oh, man…_

"Alright, alright!" came a frustrated cry, breaking Don's concentration and resuming the camera back to its widescreen of the lab. Where they were able to see Emma stumble into the frame.

}{}{}{}{}{}{

"Stick close to me." Casey whispered to April.

"Stay out of my shot." April replied to him, fiddling with the earwig piece. "Vern, tighten up on Tomes…"

"O'Neil, are you listening to me?" Casey refrained from grabbing at her arm. It wouldn't have done any good as she stepped into the line of the camera. Hers was but one of the few dozen gathered before the podium that had magically appeared outside the entrance of Saks Robotics. Didn't they just have a battle outside these gates?

"Ladies and gentlemen of the press." Tomes came up to the podium, hands raised to quiet the media vultures. Casey noted the tight space they had concocted for themselves… and the ring of government security beyond that. _I don't like this one bit._

"I am Major General Tomes with the United States Navy," Tomes was already offering up titles. "And what we're witnessing tonight is history in the making. We apologize for the blatant…"

 _Is this guy for real?_ Casey wondered as her launched into a diplomatic explanation of tonight's invasion. He found it hard to believe a guy as starched as this was guilty of reproducing a free spirit like Emma. _Wonder if she's ever actually seen her birth certificate._

"This was premature to say the least." Tomes went on. "But it is my duty to confirm the confusion that has run rampant tonight… an alien race known as the Kraang, teleported themselves from their home planet, known to us as Dimension X…"

"By who," Vern whispered to Casey from behind the camera. "The Men in Black?"

Casey bit back a chuckle, even though this wasn't a laughing matter. Just like it wasn't the time to notice the hot determination across O'Neil's face. He took back what he'd said about her workout videos. Alien invasion aside, she was a firm believer in the work she was doing. Most people couldn't even say that about their lives…

"I appreciate your stepping out of the office to meet with me and I can promise," Tomes continued. "All information will be brought to light. However, I can only ask for patience. I had made previous arrangements to release information through NY's Channel 6."

Lights and voices erupted, the reporters tightening their circle around the podium. Casey was pushed in along with them, but stiffened at the feel of something poking into his back. And it wasn't a microphone. "Uh, Vern. Get ready for some VIP access."


	23. Chapter 23

"Alright, alright!" Emma pushed herself off of the floor of the lab. She doubled back and elbowed the Foot solider that had put her there. "Was that _really_ necessary?! You saw my feet moving, what else did you want me to do!"

"Shut up!" the solider yelled back in her face. Emma dusted herself off with her good hand. "Fair enough. Working for the next grim reaper is extremely stressful. Lucky for me, I don't have that problem."

The solider rubbed a hand over his face. "Oh, you've got problems alright."

"Really?" Emma folded her arms in a huff. "Do tell. I love it when a man explains in intricate detail just what's wrong with me."

"Enough!"

All heads whipped around as the Shredder- the walking satellite dish- stalked up to them angrily. Karai and the others bowed, leaving Emma the closet to watch him glare at her. That is, he seemed to be glaring… his helmet didn't change expression. But it looked more evil with every step he took closer to her. _Oh crud._

She shuffled her feet, like that would shift her out of his line of sight. That was when she spotted the tables, and the brooding turtle struggling against the straps. "What… oh, are you kidding!?"

She bolted for the tables. They were the same kind used in psycho-wards, minus the three-fold thick cuffs. Bolted to the floor, yet balanced like a teeter-totter. There had to be a remote control somewhere…

 _When did I get so good at analyzing a situation?_ Emma wondered momentarily. _Must be all the ninjas._

"Master Splinter?" Emma touched the rat's arm, taking stock of the three needles poking under his skin. _Why so many?_

"DON'T touch him!" Raphael snapped from his table. Emma looked up, surprised at his tone. "Why'd they put him under?"

Raph glared at her. "Ask yer buddy."

"Wha-?" Emma looked around at the Shredder who was glowering over her. "What'd you do to him?"

"The Kraang have stabilized him in a comatose state." Shredder stated with no shortage of glee. "They cannot perform his dissection if he's moving."

Emma's eyes widened in horror.

"I regret not being the one to wield the saw myself." Shredder went on. "But I have my army to assemble. Major Tomes will be setting the stage for the new era of the Foot Clan shortly."

"You think one army's gonna give you leverage over a race of brains?" Emma pointed at the three exoskeletons that studied her like dummies. "They're gonna make slaves of you, Saki. Just like the rest of us; you're nothing special."

"And you are clearly not a businesswoman, Miss Tomes." Shredder scoffed, coming around, dissolving the barrier of Raph's table between them. "Being the one that offered the Kraang a foothold into our world, I can easily take it away. They know this. And after the Foot have control over this city, the rest of the world is of little consequence."

"I'll give you consequences, ya lousy…" Raph started, only to be cut off by the singe of hot electricity. He grunted against the pain and Emma dodged around Shredder. She rammed her shoulder into the exoskeleton that was pushing the button. The sneak attack proved useful to an otherwise stoic robot and the zapping stopped.

"You wanna risk damage to your specimens!" Emma shouted at the stomach, holding her shoulder. "Just like an alien species… tons of tech and dumb as rocks…"

She froze as a ray of pink light zoomed out and scanned her. Again, the stomach gurgled. "Subject: Imogene Tomes."

Why did it know her name? Emma moved back wearily.

"Yeah," Raph coughed. "You heard the lady. She needs us in top condition."

"Exac-," Emma stopped to stare at him. "Wait, what? Why would I need…"

"Quit playin' us, sweet cheeks." Raph huffed and Emma realized he was looking at her with blood in his eyes. "I know about your dad's deal. And about the blood."

"What blood?" Emma stepped closer, trying to identify what he was saying.

"The blood you gave _him,_ " Raph nodded toward Shredder. "To mix with ours."

 _Ok, input confusion here._ Emma shook her head. "I never gave…"

"It's not enough to hang out with the freaks, huh?" Raph yelled further at her. "You gotta get inside us, find what makes us tick. What're you after, the super healing, the super strength? Or just our charming personalities?"

What was he talking about? Emma's mind struggled to keep up with all the new information that was presenting itself. The last time she had donated blood was… the Navy's Red-Cross Ball. Three years ago. The whole family had had their blood drawn, in their evening gowns and cuff links… It was the only explanation. Though it didn't explain why Raph would believe that she'd do anything to promote Saki's deluded plans for world denomination. Did he not remember the time he fell through the grate?

"Temper, temper." Shredder shook his head, staring down at Raphael. "It doesn't bode well for your health, Raphael."

"Don't!" Emma managed to cry before Shredder ejected a blade from his sleeve. Raph screamed this time as the blade entered his shoulder and was dragged, slowly, toward his elbow. Emma reached across and grabbed it before she could think. Shredder pulled it out, slicing her palm and Emma gasped at the burning of her flesh. "Agh… acid? You dip your blades in sulfuric acid!"

"What… do you care?" Raph grunted through his pain. "When I get outta here, you're in for it, same as them."

Emma looked down at him. Then her gaze turned into an angry, frustrated glare. What could she say, she didn't like people questioning her character. She kicked the leg of the table. "You really gonna do this right now?! FINE!" She broadened her shoulders. "Has living in the sewer completely fogged up your brain! How could you think for a minute that I would allow _any_ of this to happen to your family? To let it happen to Mikey? How could you think that!"

"You wanna list?" Raph sneered.

"You are so dumb!" Emma burst in disbelief. "You and April, both! Whatever my dad's involved in, I didn't know about it! I don't know anything about blood or Kraang-bots, or ANYTHING! The only thing I've had time for this past year is playing doctor to you and your three danger-prone brothers.'

'You now how ironic that is? I mean, seriously," Emma threw up her hands. ""You guys are supposed to be masters of balance! And _whose_ sai was it that I pulled out of Donnie's shoulder, huh?"

"I grow weary of this." Shredder barked.

Someone grabbed Emma's shoulder, but she merely performed a reverse hold, twisting the arm and kicking the Foot solider squarely in his manhood. "Don't interrupt my monologue!"

She spun back to look at Raphael. "And another thing!"

Raph's face looked surprisingly relaxed. "What?"

"Your left side's been free since I started talking."

"I know." Raph smirked. With that, he flipped off of the table, wrenching it from the floor with a single yank. Emma hit the deck as he commenced swinging it around, cutting down Shredder, the Kraang, and whatever soldiers were in an unfortunate seven-foot radius. She looked back up, impressed yet weary, when she found the raging turtle standing over her. There was maybe two seconds where they stared, gauging each other. Then Raph sighed, easing the table down. "You wanna get my other hand free?"

Emma smiled, getting up. She undid the cuff, first on his wrist, then from his giant waist. Raph shook it off like a bad dream, but quickly puffed himself out. "Don't think this makes us ok, though."

Emma's smile vanished. "You keep wallowing in your doubt. I'm gonna go help Master Splinter."

She moved past him to the rat, who only looked to be sleeping. Using adrenaline on him could be dangerous while he was still under. He needed to be disconnected, then wakened gradually… A sudden roar sounded as Raph led the charge to keep Karai and her flunkies. Emma ran her eyes over Splinter's monitors. There were three needles administering him his comatose state, keeping his vitals stable.

 _They wouldn't give him the drugs without a countermeasure._ Emma reasoned. The gaps between veterinary and medical science weren't all that big and luckily Splinter and his sons fell somewhere in the middle. Emma took to searching the trays beside the table. _Glucose, zolpidem… maybe a slight electrical shock…_

"Hurry it up, medicine woman!" Raph shouted behind her, his sais clanging.

"I'm dealing with rocket science, here!" Emma yelled back, grabbing the glucose. Ok, so Splinter wasn't a diabetic, but he would need the extra energy boost. She turned… and looked up. A Foot solider grabbed her shoulder and squeezed. Emma's mind flashed _pressure point_ just as her knees buckled. She grabbed Splinter's table to steady herself, determined not to go down. What other vials had been on the tray?

"I've been looking forward to this." the solider stood over her, snarling. Seriously, the guy she'd beaten in the alley? Emma wrinkled her nose at him. "We're in the middle… of an alien invasion… and you're worried about avenging your manhood? Way to prioritize, dude."

He squeezed his hand around her throat and pulled her close. "I think I'll make this nice and slow for you."

Ok, forget the vials! Emma snatched up a scalpel she'd noticed and drove for his neck. He stopped it less then an inch from impact. Seeing as how she had grabbed it with her broken hand, Emma whimpered.

"Wrong way." the solider grinned with malice. He twisted her wrist like a pipe cleaner, pointing the shiny tip of the scalpel at her. Emma locked her muscles, but she knew they'd only buy her a few seconds before she lost an eye socket. _Raphael, where are you!? Ugh, don't lose focus, don't lose…_

"Hiiii-yaaahhh!"

The _thwack_ of a nunchaku cracked onto the creep's head. He collapsed like that, releasing Emma, who clutched her now limp hand. She smiled up at a grinning Mikey. He puffed out his chest at her fallen attacker. "Something told me he didn't have his M.D."

"Huh?" Emma flexed her good hand, remembering the glucose in it.

Mikey's grin faltered. "He was… the scalpel…"

Emma thought about it, then shrugged. "Not your best work. But thanks, anyways."

"Michelangelo!" Leo shouted as his swords clanged.

"Do your thing, Gorgeous.' Mikey winked at Emma. "I'll do mine."

"He'll need to be carried out of here." Emma said, stationing herself back at the table. "There's no jerking him awake from this."

"Got it covered." Leo blew past them, spun and knocked a bot back into the wall. Mikey joined the fray all too eagerly. It looked like Raph needed a little hand against the Shredder anyway. Emma would nag the pompous reptile about that later; she removed the needles from Master Splinter's arm with care, working to keep the vein exposed. With a slow pump of the syringe, the glucose was administered in under a minute. Just in time too…

"Mikey!" Emma darted from the table as a Foot solider aimed his rifle at the back of Mikey's head. She'd always wanted to try a sweep kick… she shrunk down, twirled on the ball of her foot and felt elation as the oaf went down. "Mike, you're losing your touch. He's still conscious."

She swung her leg up and down. Her heel nearly split the guy's jaw, but he was out. The floor flashed against Emma's hands as bullets threatened her from the opposite direction. She squealed, hunkering her head down. There were a few _shwooshes_ and swipes, then the bullets stopped. In the next instant, Mikey was there, hoisting her up. He didn't miss Emma's wince at moving her arm. "You ok?"

Emma waved her swollen knuckles at him nonchalantly. "I'll heal."

"Let's pack it up!" Leo shouted, more to Raph then anyone else. "We need to get Splinter out of here and regroup with Donnie…"

Somehow a gun blast climbed over the confusion, stopping Leo's orders. All motion froze, before everyone's heads- even the Shredder's- whipped in the direction of the noise. Emma's eyes widened, her stomach dropping. Her parents had entered the lab… and Dad was holding his gun to April's temple!

 **Yeah, I thought it was high time for a decent fight scene! That, and a good cliff hanger!**


	24. Chapter 24

_Well, you're no longer on the sidelines…_

April found her thoughts remarkably coherent, given the pressure of a gun barrel against her head. Well, the barrel, her beating heart clogging her ears, and the firm grip that Major Tomes was keeping on her arm. She swept her eyes over the crowded lab. It had been Leo, Raph, and Mikey against Shredder, Karai, Kraang-bots, and Foot soldiers. Splinter on an operating table, Emma in the middle of it all- so it seemed- staring, mouth agape. She took a few steps forward, stopped, then started again. "Dad?"

"Saki," Major Tomes looked past her, addressing the Shredder. "I trust you will be able to contain your experiments, now."

"Don't presume to give me orders." Shredder growled back at him. April couldn't decide if it was the commander who shivered or her.

"Dad," Emma was shaking her head. "Obvious madness aside, what are you doing?"

"Emma." Mrs. Tomes orderly sternly. "Please, let your father handle this."

"Let him…" Emma looked back at Mikey, then back to them, appalled. "He's holding a gun to my friend's head!"

"There are more serious things at stake here." Mrs. Tomes beckoned anxiously to her daughter. "Now step away from those… those… from them, before you get hurt."

"They're turtles." April told her. Her eyes met with Emma's, but April wasn't looking to reconnect just yet.

"Mutated turtles." Emma went on after a pause. "Mutated by whatever projects you were helping to fund here, Dad."

"Which makes them government property." Major Tomes stated coldly.

"The heck it does." Emma snapped.

Major Tomes seethed in mounting frustration. "Emma, I'm warning you…"

"Or what, Dad?" Emma stepped closer, not fully between her parents and the brothers. "You're going to shoot my roommate? Cuse if you do, I promise, you're gonna have four mean and green shadow warriors flying at you before you can blink." She jabbed her thumb at the guys. "And they'll attack you because they care about April. They'll fight you because they care about the city. Now I know that government _property_ doesn't display loyalty and friendship like that."

Major Tomes's voice rose in anger now. "I don't know how you've been filling your time here Emma, but you don't owe these…" There was no disguising the disgust in his voice. "Things anything."

"They're in your crosshairs because of me." Emma shrugged, eyes glinting with confused tears. "I owe it to at least try and get them out of it."

"I'm getting the same feeling as the Young and the Restless." Casey murmured from behind. Raph didn't loose his stance, but his eyes widened. "You actually watch that show? Man, you were so macho two minutes ago."

"I'm sorry, but can we focus on the more pressing issues right now?" April slipped in, pun intended as Major Tomes massaged the gun against her temple. "There is more at stake then just you, Emma. Now, convince your friends to drop their weapons."

Emma linked her eyes again with April. They both looked back at the boys. They were still, locked and loaded.

"They were mutated with free will," Emma's gaze lingered on Raph. "I'll let them decide."

"Like we gotta choice." Raph growled, keeping Major Tomes in his sights. That surprised April. Normally, Raph would be the last to drop his weapons. Even so, panic rose inside her. "Guys, don't! Like he said, there's more at stake…"

"Still can't measure up, Angel Cakes." Mikey smiled at her, but it fell flat as he and his brothers prepared to drop their weapons. Deja vu, or was it just April? This couldn't be happening again… not because of her. The swords and nunchakus clattered to the floor. Wait a minute…

Shredder wasted no time in kicking his foot out to Leo's back. Leo hit the floor with an _umph_. How did he still manage to hold his chin so high? Chin high, eyes steeled… and staring straight at her… oh! April's heart raced and she drove her head back into the bridge of Major Tomes' nose.

"Donnie now!" Leo yelled into his comm. There wasn't any need for him to scream; it about shattered the comm in April's ear. April slapped it with her hand as the lab lights vanished. Then things happened fast. Footsteps rushed them, she was knocked away from Major Tomes, and then April was lifted in thick, reptilian-scaled arms. She wrapped her own around Raph's neck and held on. Noise abounded through the room; punches, sword swipes… Mikey's kung-fu finesse. Then suddenly she and Raph were flying through the air and she tried not to jolt too roughly as Raph landed them on the catwalk above everyone's heads.

"We're leaving!" Leo ordered from beside them.

WHOOSH! A door opened and April blinked into the abrupt rush of light. She didn't need to see though to hear the boots of Foot soldiers coming at them.

"Goongala!" Casey Jones charged forth, swinging his bat around to clear the corridor ahead of them. It was obviously the one that would lead them to Donnie. Raph put April down and squeezed her hand before he leapt to help Casey. Mikey wasted no time in taking her hand then and pulled her along. April looked over at his other side, noticing Emma's wild eyes. Finally, she'd been thrown for a loop!

"Did you girls see that?" Mikey was regaling them with his all-powerful ninja moves- which he had performed in the dark. April cut in. "Where're we going?"

"The central control room." Leo was the one to explain. "Donnie's waiting for us so he can…"

"Heads up!"

"Watch your shells!" Mikey cried, as they now found both ways becoming blocked by Foot soldiers. Really! After awhile, their attacks just got annoying!

"Casey, Raph, you're with me." Leo used the split second before his steel met enemy steel. "Mikey, take Dad. You and Donnie get to work in the control room!"

 _Once again, they all have their jobs to do._ April sulked. _And once again, I'm in the way. Without even a camera_ , _after Tomes jacked it._

Being friends with the guys was its own reward; but it really did nothing to promote her journalism career when her equipment kept slipping through the cracks.

"April, go!" Casey urged her forward before a Foot goon could grab her. April made a point of kicking him back, sending her heel into his kidney band. Other then that, she left without an argument. She spotted Emma watching her a second before they feel in step behind Mikey… oh yeah, probably owed her a thank you for back in the lab.

"Emma!" April found herself crying, but she was too late to stop a soldier from crashing into her legs. Emma caught herself on her palms, twisting and kicking frantically. "I solo don't have time for this!"

"Mikey," April alerted him, simultaneously whipping a nunchuck from his belt. She swung it hard against the soldier's head… only to have him glare up at her. "Oh…"

The hated eye contact was intercepted by the end of Don's bo staff jutting in and knocking him out cold. Emma looked up, smiling. April managed a curt nod. "Makes us even."

The smile disappeared as Mikey rushed to sweep her up; Donnie did the same with April and within two minutes, the group made it into a cathedral-ceilinged room, surrounded by three walls of windows. A breeze came up and in from the river from a shattered window. The floor popped and fizzed with equally shattered Kraang-bots.

"Return of the brain people, much," Emma kicked one aside, stepping farther into the room. "Minus the body snatching, that is."

"Nah," Mikey shook his head. "This is totally Independence Day. Will Smith does it again!"

Emma wrinkled her nose at him. "OK, so you're Will Smith. What, does that make me Jasmine?"

"So?" Mikey shrugged."

"I'm NOT impersonating an exotic dancer."

Mikey sent a hopeful look over at April. She glared back. "Think again, Mikey."

"Fine," Mikey turned back to Emma. "Be the first lady then."

"Mikey, she dies!" Emma cried in horror.

"Drew Barrymore from E.T." Mikey thought aloud.

"No pink bows!" Emma spoke harshly after a thought.

"Done."

"They are aware there's an invasion going on, right?" Donnie watched them helplessly.

April sighed and shrugged. "It's how they cope."

"Mikey," Donnie snapped his fingers at his brother. "You need to get out and ditch that satellite dish."

"You're sure that'll deactivate the robots citywide?" April followed him over the endless array of glitzing controls.

"There's nothing to argue that it won't." Don told her. He shoved a piece of paper into her hands. "I imagine once they're down, the public will take care of the rest. New Yorkers tend to be rather territorial."

Wasn't that the truth.

"Enter these numbers onto that keyboard." Donnie instructed April. "From what I've learn, it operates the trans-dimensional portal. I dug around their servers, and found a backlog of trace particles… ending where, I hope, these Kraang are originally from."

"And that's where we're going to send them back." April caught on, looking over the coordinates, imprinting them in her brain.

"Just DON'T hit enter until that dish is down." Donnie warned. "I'm going to be powering it through the building's backup system so's it'll be limited to only the entire Saks institution."

"Oh, just the entire institution." Mikey exaggerated. "And what about all the contents therein?"

"It's called running for our lives." Donnie frowned at him. "You're well-trained in that department."

Mikey wiggled his brow at Emma before squawking out his PeeWee Herman impression. "Sticks and stones may break my bones…"

"MIKEY!" Don and April glared at him. He saluted. "On it, brah. And babe."


	25. Chapter 25

"TURTLES!"

Leo and Raph were shell-to-shell, barring the hallway to the control room. It had quickly become crowded between Foot flunkies and Kraang-bot rejects. This made Raph happy about the close-range combat, but this would made tactical retreat difficult. And with a raging Shredder coming at them… Leo let that thought hang as he defeated Shredder's wicked with his blades with his own.

"Learn a new trick, Houdini." he grunted.

"I shall cut you down at the knees." Shredder hissed back. "I will…"

WHAM!

A hockey stick bombarded out of nowhere, catching under the chin of Shredder's helmet. The walking metal tin staggered back and Leo looked over at the grinning Casey Jones. "Less talk, more pain."

Raph laughed, judo-kicking a soldier. "This guy's growing on me."

The Shredder picked himself up, fuming. "Insignificant human."

Casey spun, sending his heel into the Shredder's shiny jaw. "Seriously dude! Chit chat's for dollies."

Leo rolled his eyes, which fortunately lead him to spot Karai's incoming attack. He ducked, rolled, and intercepted her blade from delving in-between Casey's shoulder blades. "Have we met before?"

Her nostrils flared and she forced her attacks in his direction. Leo actually broke a sweat trying to keep up with her speed… until there was a sudden burn on the side of his head. It was a gun blast, catching both him and Karai in its crosshairs. She sank to a knee with an angry cry, as Leo fought his own dizziness. He looked back at the ranks of Kraang bots, multiplying farther and farther down the hallway. Even if they were able to bar themselves in the control room with Don and Mikey, they were sorely outnumbered. And these tim buckets didn't go down as easily as the Foot did.

"Leo!" Raph was at his side, taking his shoulder.

"What's the plan here, freaks?" Casey shouted, indicating he'd seen the robot army as well. "My equipment can openly take so much."

"Make it last long enough to get to the control room." Leo reminded him, deflecting further laser blasts. Only to have them sizzle against his blades. Great! OK, so while Donnie put Mikey to work on destroying the dish that sent out the signal to the Kraang bots, he and Raph would have to set about corrupting the store of mutagen. Would anyone believe that he just made this up as he went along? Probably not. But here was another good idea… Back at attention, Leo kicked, spliced, and sent a Kraang-bot flying toward Raph. "Raph… the floor!"

Raph's eyes narrowed, then widened, then joined his mouth in a gleeful grin. "Just when I think that we ain't related."

"What's he gonna do?" Casey paused.

"What are you…" Karai began to also inquire, but was forced back as Raph swiped the bot's blaster and took aim near her feet. He continued this pattern of attack, herding the Foot and the bots back, inch by inch. Leo grabbed his own blaster, tossed a third to Casey, and followed suite. The floor was fairly charred within seconds and the brothers turned the dials on the sides of their guns. Their weapons whirred with ten times the power and they tore into the tile like it was no more then cardboard.

A thousand and one blasts later, Leo finally heard a long, loud groan starting beneath them. Shredder remained stoic, while the Kraang stopped to listen and Karai's face blanched with terror. Without a look back, the Shredder made a volatile leap… right as the floor began a slow-motion crumble under the enemies' feet. It gave way to gravity foot by cubit foot and dragged the Foot soldiers and Kraang bots down with it.

}{}{}{}{}{

 _How to take down the dish?_ Mikey tapped his chin in thorough thought. _There are so many ways to destroy a single object. It must be artist, though… it must make a statement…_

He should've brought Emma up with him. The dish was like any other antenna you saw decorating a New York rooftop; except thirty times bigger. Big metal spire that spun into the sky with a million wires running in and out of it. _Oh, I'll cut all of the wires… but NOT the green ones!_

He dug into the pocket of his belt and whipped out the switchblade that he and his brothers all carried. He flexed his muscles as he took hold of the first wire. "I totally got this…"

Until something tight grabbed him around the throat.

}{}{}{}{}{

Donnie looked toward the lab doors, cringing at the sounds of clanging metal and screaming men. They were all too girly to for Raph and Leo wouldn't scream; no, he'd die with dignity if it ever came to that. But the lack of evidence didn't _NOT_ leave room for probability…

"Focus, Don." Donnie brought himself back to reading the files he had unearthed on the silos of mutagen behind him. They covered an entire wall of the control room, with a total of four round glass columns. They contained gallons of the ozzy green mutagen, temperature-controlled and being sucked in and out of vacuumed vents on either end, constantly mixing it. Did this make it less or more unstable? More or less sustainable to the foreign chemicals he was going to be administering? "Questions I can't afford to not know the answers to."

"I've got all of the coordinates entered." April stopped hovering over her keyboard, giving her knuckles a proud dusting on her shirt. "What now?"

"Nothing until I can contaminate the mutagen and reverse the polarity of this portal." Donnie gestured in the opposite direction to the trio of looming coils in front of them. They triangulated around a luminous, spherical space of the floor, which Don had no doubt was the entrance to the portal. April glanced at it uneasily. "You're going to reverse its polarity, subsequently creating a black hole, aren't you."

"That's the plan." Donnie moved to a set of keys that showed various symbols, not unsimilar to that of the files he'd just read. If he was right, this controlled the columns of mutagen. "By allowing the portal's gravitational pull to increase in its density…"

"It will act like a magnet, drawing in materials of similar molecular composition." April finished, having practically read his thoughts. Why weren't his brothers this perceptive?

"I'm assuming that of this technological jargon is good?" Emma glanced between them. "Because, if I'm reading you right, this building is going to fall in on itself, only all of the debris with land on the other end?"

"Right." Don and April answered in equal excitement. Emma looked around. "And… everything inside said building?"

"I didn't say that is was a perfect plan." Donnie admitted. "We'll be long gone before…"

He jumped as Leo, Raph, and Casey Jones burst into the room. Leo was sweating and panting. "Donnie… please tell me that the mutagen is ready to go up in flames!"

"It's too unstable for that." Donnie told him. "I'm going to have to inject some toxins into the tubes, thus contaminating the whole thing."

"What about the cronies creeping all over the city?" Raph asked.

"Mikey's on it."

"WHAT!" they cried. Donnie waved them down. "Don't worry! It involves destruction."

"My kind of field work." Raph eased off, grinning. "So what's the plan after he…"

"Hey!" April's cry jerked all of their heads to where she gripped Emma's wrist. Emma pleaded with her, jerking back her cell phone. "I'm all for blasting these squish brains back across the galaxy, but… my parents are still in here. I need to tell them to clear out." She looked from one to the other. "Please."

They all looked over at Leo, as Splinter was still in his unconscious state. He sighed. "They already know that we're here. Go ahead."

April's jaw locked and she released Emma's wrist, who speed-dialed. "Mom… Mom, just listen…"

She moved over toward the mutagen. April moved briskly, muttering until she reached Donnie. "We better not regret that."

"She _did_ talk to her dad out of shooting you." Donnie offered. He wanted Emma to be in their side as much as he knew April did. But, best to deal with the world domination first.


	26. Chapter 26

**Riveting enough for ya? Still planning on a punch-filled ending, so hang in there! And check out the poll that I've posted on my profile page (and yes, I've tried saying that five times fast!).**

 **}{}{}{}{}{**

 _World domination, you will not win!_ Mikey vowed, clawing at his assailant. All he needed to do was knock out the dish… he could do that! One little metallic chord around his neck was all that was stopping him!

"Kraang will be making that which is known as mincemeat out of you."

Mikey coughed. "You… don't even… insult good!"

He wrestled his weight back, using the edge of his shell as leverage to break the robot's arm at the elbow. Master Splinter's voice materialized in his head as Mikey worked through the kata he'd been slaving over. The Kraang-bot shrieked at the rapid hits and Mikey spun off a perfect reverse kick. "Cowabunga, son!"

The Kraang's tentacles lashed out from the stomach cavity, but they failed to reach Mikey as he raced up the pole and swung his nunchuck at the controls. He followed it with his fist, opened the panel, and began ripping at the many wires. Sparks joined the pretty colors and the hum coursing through the dish slowed, then died. _Yeah, boy!_

Victory lap! Oh wiat, there was nowhere to run. OK, so head back down and regroup.

"Mikey!" Donnie's voice crackled. "Abort, abort! Don't touch that dish! We need it to…"

 _Way to stomp on the moment, brah._ Mikey groaned.

}{}{}{}{}{

"He already destroyed the dish, didn't he." Raph asked needlessly over the radio silence.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" Donnie was whizzing his six fingers over the buttons. "Who routes all of their power into one power source? Their intel is supposed to surpass that of our own!"

"Can't you just reroute the power?" Leo cried. "We need it to bury this lab before the night's out."

"It's not that simple…" Donnie shook his head.

"Who cares about the gigabytes as long as you get them?" Raph tapped his foot, his eyes having yet to leave Emma, who continued to argue on her cell phone.

"Technically, we're talking about volts." Donnie clarified.

"Hack into a power station, then." April stressed.

"It'd take at least three to supply the juice for this thing." Donnie gestured to the portal gate. He was panting like crazy and Raph was waiting to see the steam coming out of his ears, the gears going pinging in all directions.

"It's official." Emma moaned, off her phone. "My parents are idiots."

"Is that a recent discovery?" Raph glared at her.

"How'd they get here?" Casey Jones piped up. Raph, April, and the others looked over as he stared ominously out of the lab's demolished wall. Raph rolled his eyes. "Say what?"

"How'd the brains get here?" Casey asked again. "To conquer a world that's light years away, you're not gonna take the bus."

"Your point?" April lifted her palms.

"Ships!" Donnie raised his index finger in 'lightbulb' mode. "That portal's large enough for a blimp to pass through. They would've brought them over for transportation."

"But we haven't seen one being used." Raph pointed out. "And even if they did, how's that help us right now?"

Now Casey rolled his eyes at him. "What do you do when your battery's out of power? You get a jump from another one."

Donnie's eyes widened with hope. "If they have ships… there's gotta be a hanger."

April was already shuffling through the security screens from earlier. "If we can find them, how're we supposed to tap into their power?"

Raph grunted. "Anybody got an extension cord?"

"Actually, yes." Donnie said

"Finally something goes right." Leo sighed.

"Incoming!" came Mikey's yell a second too late. He swung through the jagged glass, crashing into Casey. The two lug heads went sprawling. Mikey jumped up immediately, hands raised in defense. "I was just following orders! Brainiac over there told me to…"

"Shut up, Mikey!" They all yelled; even Emma! Maybe there was hope for her yet.

"The… mutagen," a weak voice suddenly arose and Raph sprung to Master Splinter's side; he practically knocked Leo over. "Sensei?"

"The hanger… is there one?" Splinter attempted to sit up. Raph didn't know what to do, but he didn't want him hurting anything else.

"There is!" April gasped in surprise. "It's… on sub-level two. Underground."

Raph groaned. _Ask for a simple solution, you get handed two more problems._

"How do we get two levels underground?" Emma asked, biting a nail.

"What 'we'?" Raph looked at her. "Aren't you going to go running after Daddy?"

"You realize you're only creating this little drama to fight your own insecurities." Emma snapped at him. Knowing that if there was one thing Raphael hated, it was to be seen as weak. Raph pushed himself toward her, sai out, but Splinter's voice stopped him. "The hanger… below us?"

"Yes." Leo nodded, holding his sensei up. "But we have no way to get to it."

"There is." Splinter pushed his consciousness forward. "Leonardo, you brought C-4; I suggest that you use it and… build a new dumb waiter."

Was he suggesting what Raph was guessing he was suggesting?

"That's insane!" Donnie cried, rushing to Splinter's side. "We'd risk spilling the mutagen and exposing everyone! There's no telling what a secondary stage mutation could do us!"

"But it was injected into you last time." April reminded him.

"Doesn't mean I wanna take a bath in it." Don shuttered. There was another resounding bong on the doors, getting them all a little jump. Raph glanced at Donnie. "You prefer a bloodbath, bro?"

Leo sighed, putting a hand over his face. "We'll need time."

Raph rolled his shoulders. "Don't we always. Yo bonehead, you up for it?"

Casey was next to him, mask and hockey stick at the ready. "Way ahead of you, yak breath. And don't ask how I know how that smells."

The doors jolted again, straining against the deadbolts. Raph twirled his sai out again with great anticipation. He couldn't beat on Mikey's girlfriend, at least he could beat on somebody. He yelled in unison with Casey and his brothers as Shredder, his Foot soldiers, and the Kraang bots burst through the doors.

}{}{}{}{}{}{

 _Can't things be a little bit quieter up there!_ Baxter Stockman growled at the unseen disturbances rumbling above his head. A full five stories, with ten extra feet underground, and somehow the world _still_ managed to interrupt his genius. The invasion had started, but thankfully, he had not been needed for that. He could only picture the pathetic chaos that had erupted over the mediocre population. Baxter was far too involved logging all of his latest experiments with the Kraang technology.

Six years he had been doing this, and he felt he had barely breathed this new plane of science! He had made the right choice in working for Saks… of course, Shredder was the big cheese. If the Navy wasn't footing the bill, then he certainly was. Baxter didn't bother with the politics of it. Science was the real power and they couldn't have gotten this far without his brilliance to push them forward! Pity he had not yet been born when the Kraang first landed on earth, otherwise…

 **KABOOM!**

This time, the whole lab shook. Baxter steadied himself against the counter, catching at least one of the beakers before the rest of them smashed to the floor. _Idiots! Do they know how long it took me to create those solutions! What could be so hard about…_

He thought nothing else as the roof groaned, the two-ton beams supporting it cracked, and the ceiling caved in. Bringing all five stories of Saks Robotics along with it.


	27. Chapter 27

_][][]{3 Minutes Earlier}{}{}{}{_

"Don't let them hit the controls!"

"Hiiii-yah! Whaadada-wah!"

"I really think we need to clear the air here." Emma mentioned to April. April ducked as the Kraang's gamma rays fizzed over her head. She looked at Kara in full exasperation. "Now?!"

"You wanna wait till after there's a crater in the floor?" Emma cocked her own blaster and fended off the two Foot soldiers trying to get the drop on their position behind the master control panels.

"It's the guys you should be apologizing to." April told her through slits of eyes.

"It's you I want forgiveness from." Emma knelt down and gripped her arm. "You are my friend, April! Ice cream runs, coffee breaks, movie marathons- emergency tampons- that was real!"

April closed her eyes, thinking. Or rather, trying to. Then she opened them and squared off with Emma. "Why didn't you just tell me? I led Saks and Shredder to the turtles once; I would've understood about misplaced loyalties."

"It wasn't about loyalty," Emma's tone saddened. "My dad lost mine years ago. I came to New York for Carson. Before that, I'd gone everywhere for Dad and his job. And after Carson died, I wanted to be somewhere for myself. I wanted to be Emma and not a naval commander's daughter." She gestured at April, like her hand was better at explaining. "You're proud to be your dad's child. I'm not."

April didn't respond. Instead, she raised her plasma gun… and sent rapid fire at a Kraang-bot looming over the soldier Emma had blasted. The heat singed Emma's hair and ear, causing her to yelp. "Really!?"

"I'm still not cool on the 'no trusting' thing," April said, keeping the gun up. "But we're even now. And none of my other friends can remember what kind of coffee I like."

"Well, what other human…" Emma kicked the fried bot back, its stomach squawking. "Takes three shots of espresso with a cinnamon soy latte?"

April shrugged. "I work late nights."

They might have laughed if the entire world hadn't rocked and rattled right then. April pitched forward as Emma's head hit the panel. Gravity pulled her to the floor and she laid there, dazed. _Colors, noise… colors… looks like a Hawaiian pizza._

"Emma!" April's voice was shouting in her ear. Her friend coughed in her face and snapped her fingers at her. "They did it! C'mon, we gotta get the cables!"

 _Cables… oh yay; fate of the world depends on those cables…_ Emma willed herself out of her fog, shaking the concrete dust off of her. In order for them to drain the power from the Kraang ships, Donatello was having them hook up yards of thick, rubber-insulated cables directly into the portal device. They were so thick, it would take both girls to lift just one. That was why she needed to hold it together! All she had left was her reputation and she needed to make good on it!

}{}{}{}{}{

Mikey gave a loud _whoop whoop!,_ breaking into a proud stance atop the long cylinder of oozing mutagen. He had ridden it all the way down in a blaze of explosion glory, like it was the world's largest skateboard. He could officially shred anything! Mikey threw in a dance step; even with the threat of the end of the world, he was still all that and a bag of chips! _Mmmm… pizza-flavored Pringles!_

"Michelangelo!" Master Splinter ordered from farther below. No, make that from above. Everything was a bit jumbled after detonation. Mikey looked up and spied his sensei perched on a bent pipe sticking out of the pummeled edge of the hole. "You saw that, right Dad? I totally just stole Shredder's name from him."

"Mikey!" Leo's voice cried from somewhere to the left. Mikey turned to brag further to him; only to find himself gazing at his own reflection in the Shredder's helmet. "Oh… shell."

He ducked and rolled as the tin man swiped at him in a rage. "You dare to mock me!"

Mikey forced a chuckle out. "They don't call me 'daredevil' for nothing."

The Shredder's nifty sleeve knifes went singing through the air. Mikey felt their energy narrowly miss him as he ducked and weaved to avoid them. _Just pretend it's Raph, just pretend it's Raph…_

Yet, Raph always threw his fists, not his steel. Mikey slid down the side of the tube, only to lose any solid footing on the debris below. He looked up warily, at the Shredder glaring above. _Oh boy!_

"Hey, Chrome Dome!" Mr. Hothead himself yelled out, picking himself out from the crumbled concrete. "Nobody puts him on the run but me!"

Shredder responded in kind and Raph charged. That gave Mikey enough courage to haul himself back up. He swung his chuck out and succeeded in tripping the Shredder up. Raph spun kicked and jammed his sai up into the already damaged chest plate.

"Watch the cables!" Leo yelled over the din. Mikey looked up at three giant black snakes swinging down toward them. April and Emma must've hooked them up! Hopefully that Jones guy had been enough of a buffer between his girls and any baddies they had left up top.

"Leonardo," Master Splinter swished down from the pipe, taking a stance that boxed Shredder in between him and Raph. "Attach those cables! Raphael and I have some unfinished business here."

 _Movie reference!_ Mikey gawked, then rooted for the emboldened Master Splinter. "You got this, sensei!"

"Mikey, get down here!" Leo ripped his focus- along with Mikey- back down the side of the cylinder. Both turtles were surprised to find themselves standing in the entrance of an underground cavern. It had to equal the size of three hangers! Any spare equipment was centered on four large, round, black and chalk-gray domes.

 _Really?_ Mikey thought grudgingly. _They're saucer-shaped!? Ah c'mon Kraang, get with some originality!_

"You think these are Auto-bots or Decepticons?" Mikey suggested to Leo. Leo didn't respond, only leaped up and grabbed one of the cables. "Grab one, dimwit!"

"Where do we put them?" Mikey drew down the second, struggling to hold on to the rubbery exterior.

"Working on it." Leo grunted with the weight.

"Work faster!" Raph yelled down; two seconds before Shredder made for him again. Mikey wrapped his arms around his cable and stepped farther into the cavern. Coming to ground level made the ships even bigger, if not more daunting. Oh, to drive on of them!

"We'll need to make a hole in the haul." Leo said, sliding in to the closet ship. "Don said we just have to cross a few wires, creating a conductor of electricity, and he can drain the power that way."

"Then start slicing." Mikey urged.

"It's not that simple."

Mikey snorted. "What, you afraid of setting off the car alarm?"

Leo glared at him. Then he grabbed Mikey's neck and shoved him down. Mikey batted him off. "Hey! It was a joke! Keeping the mood nice and light, remember?"

Leo only nodded back at the ship. Mikey then noticed the blades that should've pierced through his head, instead of the side of the spaceship. "Oh."

}{}{}{}{

Splinter was tired. He was calling upon the last of his reserves for this fight, but he refused to have his sons face the Shredder alone. Last time he had been helpless… now he was not. And he had an idea. He spun about, whipping Shredder's helmet askew with his tail.

"You missed," Splinter called out, smirking at Shredder. "Typical of one in their old age."

Both Shredder and Raphael gave pause. Then Shredder bashed a fist to Raphael's face, leaving him and Splinter, who held his ground as the sinister ninja moved forward. "You dare speak to me, rodent?"

Before Splinter could egg him on, Shredder sent more blades right for his head. Slinter leapt sideways, the blades zinging past him… and hitting the Kraang ship behind him!

"Leonardo, connect the cables immediately!" Splinter ordered, flinging himself at Shredder. He delivered a tight kakusi geri and sent the Shredder spiraling with the aide of his tail. He did not miss Raphael's snicker, nor Shredder's roar as he picked himself up. "Do you believe I will allow my empire to come undone by sewer trash!"

"Better start believing." Raphael remarked. He and Master Splinter braced themselves for his charge. Only to have Shredder turn from them and make a flying leap for Michelangelo and Leonardo. Splinter eyed the jump wearily. Raphael's hand found his shoulder. "I got this, sensei."

He handed him a comm set. "You let Donnie know when we're ready."

Oh great… technology


	28. Chapter 28

"Is this going to work?" April couldn't help asking Donnie for the fourth time. It was a given, considering what he had planned for Saks Robotics.

"There shouldn't be any scientific doubt that it will." Donnie replied; right as he swung his staff. Between him and Casey, the Kraang-bots were just about out of commission. And with any luck, they'd be inter dimensionally transported with the rest of their doomsday pals.

"There's doubt in your voice." April mentioned, ramming the butt of her blaster into a Foot's throat. He fell to his knees, opening him to her knee into his nose.

"Well, there's always a margin of error to be expected." Don glanced back at the controls. "I mean, the variables in our favor are average…"

"On your left, Einstein!" Casey shouted and Donnie blocked just in time. "April, open the desktop next to you."

April clicked on it, only to find 1,001 weird symbols staring back at her. How was she to enter a worm into that?

"So much for me knowing pig latin." Emma laughed dryly, watching April's back.

"All clear!" Casey yelled out, acknowledging the final bad guy that been dropped. April graciously surrendered the computer to Donnie and he commenced typing rapidly.

"You understand their stuff?" Casey came up and blinked at the screen.

"A system is a system." Donnie responded. "You can build it up, you can tear it down."

"Let's hope." Emma kicked at a bot that continued to twitch. "Though if the Navy had a hand in building it…"

April watched her, feeling the first touches of sympathy. "What'd your parents say when you called?"

"Before or after they threatened to disown me?" Emma snarked.

"Really?" Casey looked appalled. "They said that to you."

"I'm paraphrasing.' Emma deflected. "But I warned 'em." She shrugged, her gaze drawing back, somewhere April didn't know about. "Can't do much else; not for Carson, or for them."

"Don't worry." Casey told her. "Should we become non-existent…"

"Well there's that too." Emma giggled as April slapped Casey's arm. "There's this thing known as sensitivity, you know?"

"I've heard of that," Casey titled his head, pretending thought. "My pals say chicks dig it; but they're idiots, so…"

April turned her back and hunched back over the computer beside Donnie. So much trust on one turtle's shoulders… she didn't have time to re-program Casey's caveman instincts. "You should get out of here. I mean, we're gonna try to implode the entire building…"

"What, and you stay put?" Casey asked, sidling up beside her.

"I'm not leaving my family." April stated simply. "But if you have…"

"I've made my peace with them." Casey was looking at her, intently. "And never let it be said that Casey Jones left a lady in the lurch."

April squinted at him, admittedly surprised. He smiled devilishly at her. "Kinda makes you want me, huh."

Emma snorted and Donnie's bo staff thwacked Casey on the back of his head. He clutched the spot with his hands and backed up. "Alright! Got the message!"

"Nobody's going to be getting anything if Leo doesn't get those cables hooked up." Donnie fretted. April and Emma looked over at the giant hole that Splinter and the others had disappeared through minutes ago. As well as the Shredder. They shared a look, then walked over until they were almost at the edge.

The charges had been placed around the base of the cylinder and it had worked. The whole thing had been knocked loose, and its weight drove a hole straight to the bottom of the building. The floors and ceilings were mangled together, sparks flew here and there from loose wires… it was morbid to stare at. But April couldn't stop.

"What'd you think's happening down there?" Emma voiced, letting her echo travel through the hole.

"Freak smack-down for the ages." Casey suggested.

"Don't talk about them like that." April leapt to their defense.

"I got no problem with it." Casey nodded back to Donatello in sincerity. Donatello gave a dismissive wave back at him. "I'm going to recheck the coordinates for the portal. If they're not up here in forty seconds, I'll head down there."

April quickly came back, touching his head on the counter. "They're your brothers, Don. You got nothing to worry about…"

"INCOMING!"

Donnie blocked April, and Emma screamed as the orange and green blur of Mikey came soaring up through the hole. He knocked her down and they tumbled over a few bodies. Kara's head rolled back in pain. Just the same, she spit out. "Mikey… I keep warning you not to fall for me."

Casey shot April a raised eyebrow, but she shook her head. Once he spent time with them, he'd understand. Would he spend time with them? After this?

"Shredder!" Mikey picked himself up. "Right behind me! We need to run interference."

April started at the eye gouge spotting Mikey's right eye. Mikey didn't seem to mind as he and Emma jumped into it. April, meanwhile, located a huge chuck of blasted concrete. Casey tried to heave his way in. "I got it."

"Not by yourself, you don't." April countered, bracing her knees for the haul. Casey stared her over. "You hate being left out, don't you?"

"I hate people seeing me as a fragile little toothpick." April stayed in her hunch. Casey grinned. "I think a toothpick is wider."

 _Ok, that was funny._ April admitted to herself; along with not being able to lift the concrete by herself. "Well, Jones?"

Casey counted to three and the slab came up with manageable resistance. April peered over the edge, thinking that she saw someone climbing. Friend or foe? She was losing her grip…

"Bombs away, Shredhead!" Mikey shouted, sending. down his own fistfuls of rock. April grunted at the scraps on her hands as she and Casey sent the block over the edge. It was eerie how she wasn't hearing anything… wait a minute… she was hearing a slight hum.

"Donnie, not yet!" Mikey turned from the hole. "Raph and Leo…"

"It has to be now!" Donnie told him as the portal suddenly sparked a purple center. "Surveillance has Kraang converging on our location from all sides, they'll be on us in under 50 seconds! If I have the gravitational pull going by that time, they'll be immediately taken through."

"Along with everything else in the building." April pointed out.

"It'll be gradual." Donnie assured her. "By my calculations, depletion of the whole building should take 4 minutes, 38 seconds."

"It's nice to have an exact time table of when I'm going to die." Emma threw her hands up.

April gulped down her own fear, watching the purple within the portal begin to grow. Her hair stood on end as the air fizzed and began to spark. The coils that represented the opening glowed brighter and their hum picked up. As did the artificial wind. No wait, it was…

"Where'd that helicopter come from?!" Emma found herself having to shout. A blinding spotlight filled the broken windows, making them all back up. April was at a loss to answer; and was unable to as a hand grabbed her ankle. She turned, looking for Casey's hockey stick or anything to defend herself. Until she saw it was Master Splinter.

"My apologies, April," Master Splinter offered a smile. "This last step is rather steep."

"Splinter." April breathed out of relief, helping him out. Leo and Raph were right behind him. "What about Shredder?"

"You beamed him back down to the basement." Raph grinned.

"Oh," Donnie grimaced. "Uh… that's kinda the same general direction we need to be moving in."

The two brothers glared at the third. "Say what?"

"We're boxed in otherwise." Donnie paused to explain. "Kraang coming from the west and north, government helicopter from the east… we don't have any other choice."

"Well thanks for wasting eight minutes of my life." Raph threw his arms up. "There's only a dead end down there, Donnie."

"Maybe not." Emma piped up. "I mean, the tunnels."

Donnie looked back at her, surprised. "How do you know that?"

"Um, duh." Emma and Mikey shared a look. "It's an evil villain's lair. Of course there're tunnels."

Everyone stared at them. Then a volley of gunfire broke the moment. Casey pulled April down, voice panicked. "Sounds good!"

They broke off into pairs. April with Leo, Casey with a grumbling Raph and Emma, of course, with Mikey. The wind vanished as they began free-falling through the hole. April looked up to see three Kraang-bots, locked on them with their blasters. She tensed, but then they disappeared, sucked back towards the portal. Along with pieces of the floor. The force of the portal followed them like a vacuum, until April thought it would suck the hair right off her head. Thankfully it stopped, as the guys reached the demolished basement. Leo let April slide off, his swords at the ready. "Stay sharp. Only engage if necessary. Sensei?"

Master Splinter's ears and nose twitched, tensed back and forth. "Saki is near; and he is not alone."

April looked down as Casey's hand closed around hers. "Stick close."

"That's your favorite line of the night, isn't it?" April mocked, attesting to the fact that it was going on 3am. Casey looked slightly hurt. "Just doing my part. NYC's gonna need all its ace reporters to tell 'em what's going down."

 _Ace reporter._ April repeated, trying not to blush.

"Guys!" Raph called out from the windshield of the closest ship. How had he gotten there so quickly? "There's a draft! There's definitely an exit somewhere."

"That's probably where Saki's headed." Leo twirled a sword. "Let's go before he blocks it off or something."

"Knock on wood." Mikey and Emma said, then pointed at each other. "Jinx, you owe me a soda! No, you owe me a soda!"

The sound of ripping wire and crumbling concrete interrupted them. They all looked up. Donnie's manmade vortex had already chewed through the 1st and 2nd floors of Saks Robotics!

"C'mon!" Raph gestured them forward.

"Wait!" Donnie was fumbling with the side compartments of his pack. "The toxin! We can still administer it…"

"There's no time." Leo grabbed his arm, but Donnie jerked away. "Just go on ahead, then. I'll catch up."

"Before or after you have the scales sucked offa ya?" Mikey cried. "Donnie, c'mon man…"

Donnie turned and began climbing the cylinder, searching for a port. "All I need is a small hole to-"

"Leo!" Mikey looked to his oldest brother.

"Donnie, no!" April reached up to grab him; she missed, but he heard her. "They're right! We'll deal with this another day."

"There might not be another day." Donnie moved out of her reach. "This's why we came here, to end this! I'm not leaving until it's accomplished."

"Donatello!" Master Splinter commanded his son's attention.

"I can do this, sensei!" Donnie insisted.

The rat looked at him tenderly. "You have already done it, my son. Now come."

Don gripped his glasses as they began to lift his nose. It seemed like a wake-up call to their surroundings. "Hai, sensei."

"Now that that's settled…" Casey had to shout over the building ripping apart over their heads. "RUN!"

They had to. There was no other way to keep ahead of the rapidly advancing black hole. The group picked their way over and under the heaps of concrete and lab equipment. Distant screams testified that it was working above. April only hoped that it would stop working when it was supposed to. Donnie kept looking back, muttering calculations to himself. It was making her even more nervous, but April didn't say anything… she was trying to retain as many details as she possibly could; anything that might come in handy for the Channel 6 exclusive. If there was still a Channel 6 left… sheesh, that hadn't occurred to her!

"Score!" Mikey cried out. "Found the tunnel!"

Any cheers that he might've received were drowned out by a deafening roar. Their heads whipped around to see the hole expanding from all sides. The ships rattled, the wind was picking up again… Leo and Raph flanked the group from the back and couldn't push them into the tunnel fast enough.


	29. Chapter 29

Oroko Saki could only contain his rage by grabbing Baxter Stockman by the lapels of his lab coat. "Redeem yourself for me, doctor… tell me that you had back-ups of your work from that lab."

The scientist squirmed, his face more annoyed then fearful. "On paper and on my home computer, yes. However, all of my equipment- everything that you had been funding- was inside Saks Robotics. Which, unfortunately, has become nothing more then a giant crater along the East River."

Saki drew back his fist. And he broke a hole in the wall, mere inches from Stockman's head. "I will send salvage teams through it tonight. Before any wondering eyes can take a close look. If there is anything to be found, it will be mine."

"You mean mine." Stockman straightened his rumpled lab coat. "You wouldn't know a beaker from a Bunsen burner…"

Saki glared at the haughty man. "What you must know, Doctor, is I can withdraw my funding at any time I wish."

"So I will still be taken care of?" Stockman gave a slithery smile.

"The money is no matter." Saki assured him. He took the few steps to the window, watching out over the New York skyline. It was still his; the turtles had accomplished nothing tonight. Except to make him very angry.

"Master Shredder," Karai's footsteps stopped short behind him. "I have sent the teams out and any word will come back directly to me. What more can I do?"

Such loyalty. Saki reminded himself to keep her. He turned so Karai could see the determination in his eyes. "Find them."

She knew who he meant.

}{}{}{}{

"Nobody'll find us here." Casey guaranteed, opening the trunk of his car. "Gran hasn't been back here since we moved her into assisted living…"

He was met with silence. Casey looked back at his 'guests'… four gigantic turtles were poking their heads out of their rocking garbage truck, along with the two good-lookers that had driven them… and a four-foot, kimono-wearing rat. Casey tried not to shutter as it was the first to step out and observe the worn down farmhouse. "It is… most hospitable of you to think of this place, Mr. Jones."

Was that sarcasm in his voice? Ok, so the house hadn't been occupied for the last 6 years. But it was dry, quiet, and most important, secluded. Their nearest neighbor was four miles away. A welcome change from your nosy NY neighbors.

"We should've stayed." the one named Leo grumbled, stepping out after the rat. "We left people in danger."

"We eliminated the threat." Splinter stated. "There was little more that we could do. In spite of this whole ordeal, I will not have my sons exposed."

"He's right." April helped Mikey out, with the help of the hothead, Raphael; the Mikey dude had twisted his ankle on the last leg out of the tunnel. It had brought them out on the other side of the street from Saks Robotics!

"Tempers are high and so's the paranoia," April shook her head. "Staying out of the city's your best bet. For now."

"Better not be for too long." Raph shook his brother off, snarling at the woods surrounding the house. "It's quiet here. Too quiet."

"And am I the only one uneasy about the stability of _that_ roof over _our_ heads." the Donatello one pointed to the gapping porch shingles.

"You don't like it, camp outside." Casey tried to keep his temper mild. It'd been a long drive and they were all nursing bruises on their bruises. Even so, he took up the medical duffel that Kara had managed to lift from her clinic. "Let me get that for ya."

"Don't strain yourself." she warned. "You're already gonna be pretty stiff tomorrow."

"We all will." Leo drew his sword and inspected the creaky, porch steps like they were the Great Wall of China. Casey grunted and decided he'd have to be the bigger reptile. He breezed past and one by one, they followed him up and inside. Donnie clicked on a lone flashlight. Perfect for showing off all the lacy spiderwebs hanging around.

"At which point does Jason jump out and start swinging his machete?" Emma hissed.

"No, that's too easy," Mikey whispered back. "We're gonna fall down, all exhausted… and that's when Freddie comes knocking."

 _SCRRREEEECCHHH!_

Emma screamed; no, that was Mikey.

"Will you guys shut up!" Raph half-laughed, dragging his knife off the wall.

Donnie looked over at Casey with desperation. "You got a…"

"The fuse box is out back by the barn." Casey waved out, pointing his flashlight into what would be considered the front room. He'd show them the upstairs tomorrow. Right now, they wouldn't make it past the bathroom.

"I call the couch!" Mikey shoved past Leo and Casey, hobbling as fast as he could. But before he could pounce on the cushions- dusty as they were- Master Splinter snapped his tail at the back of his head. "Michelangelo! April and Emma will have the couch."

Mikey rubbed the back of his bald, green head. "Hai, sensei."

Casey backed up from the door, putting himself next to April. "Did he just…"

"Yes." she nodded.

"With his tail and…"

"Yep."

 _Ok, just checking._ Casey blew out his breath. "I'm gonna put the car in the barn. See if Donatello needs any help with the…"

He needed a little space to think and absorb what was happening right now. Casey limped out to the car and was cringing at the thought of bending back into the driver's seat. That's where he felt a light hand touch his shoulder. He turned around to find NYC's ace reporter herself.

"I got it." April smiled tenderly, the keys already out of his hand. Casey reached for them. "I'm capable of…"

"You're obviously capable of a lot." April rubbed a hand on his arm. "Which is why I'm wondering if you're capable of…"

"Keeping it quiet?" Casey guessed.

Her eyes raised to meet his cautiously. "Can you? Because they may be able to break your bones…" she stepped in closer. "But I'm the one who can break your public reputation."

Whew; fire! Casey would totally be into this if 98% of his body wasn't in agony. In the only move he could think of, he crossed his heart. "I promise, on somebody's life, that nobody's gettin' anything outta me."

April relaxed immediately, though her eyes remained careful. "You've done a lot for them today. And I want you to know how grateful I am for it."

Casey's heart leaped, suddenly rebooting his energy levels. "Well, I mean… what else can you do?"

"There's always running the other way." April reminded him.

"Nobody's runnin' anywhere." Casey pressed a hand to his aching ribs. "But, once things are back to a walking stance… maybe you and I could check out the downtown area. What's left of it, that is."

Her eyes betrayed nothing as she eased past him and into the driver's seat. Luckily, she drove the car away before she could spot the eager, elated grin spreading on Casey's face. It wasn't a yes, it wasn't a no; that was dateable gold right there! If he could swing it, he would moonwalk back to the porch right now. Casey limped back up the steps and through the screen door.

And smack into a wall of green. Casey tilted his head back at the four turtle brothers that were blocking the foyer. Donnie had obviously found the fuse box because a glow was coming from the living room. But, why were they all out in the hall? And staring at him?

"Nice night out there?" Raph gestured with his chin, arms folded.

"Pretty good." Casey glanced with narrowed eyes. "For anyone not suffering a cracked rib or a hairline fracture."

"Oh, helmet head's got jokes." Donnie sniffed, leaning on his bo staff. Was he attempting to make himself look cool? He would need to lose the glasses then.

"Look," Casey held up his hands. "If this's about beating me into silence, O'Neil's taken care of it."

"We know." Mikey said in his most serious tone yet. "She's good like that; taking care of herself."

"But we take care of her too." Raph said, accented by the cracking of his knuckle; on both hands.

"And we're always watching." Donnie shared a smirk with his brothers. "I can get access to any of the city's cameras in… last time I tried, it was twelve seconds."

He raised his eyebrows, like he wanted Casey to try and beat that. Leo however, the one in blue, hadn't said a thing. He only reached back and again withdrew a sword. Casey wasn't sure how it got from his back to within a breath of his throat without him seeing it.

"And just so we're clear," Raph was apparently doing the talking for him. "She's not giving you any sponge baths."

 **THE END**

 **Like it? It was my first time working in Kraang as the villain, so hoped that it was justifiable to the franchise! To see how things go at the farmhouse, check out my story, 'How to HATE a Girl'. And leave as many comments, compliments, or criticisms as you like ;)**


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